5 Clean Eating Choices That Will Improve the Quality of Your Smile

Clean Eating Is One of the Easiest Ways to Keep Your Smile Intact.

When we think of what keeps our bodies strong and able, clean eating is a front-runner for most crucial. The quality of the foods we consume is just as important to our oral health as it is to our health overall. After all, our mouths are the first place these foods visit, so introducing it to low quality, over-processed meal options can leave a less-than-desirable impression on our teeth and gums (and the rest of your body once it’s been processed). Most people have an idea of the foods they should be eating to promote a healthy body, but just how important are these foods to the body and, in this case, your smile?

Let’s look at 5 clean eating choices that can significantly improve the quality of your smile.

Shopping for Food? Stock Up on These Choices

At Beaufils Dental, we believe your dental visit should be more than just a routine check-up or procedure. Promoting positive oral health begins with educating our Cooper City patients on how to take care of their teeth outside of our office – and what you eat plays a huge role in dental care. Keep these foods in mind when considering your next meal:

Calcium rich juices, milk and cheese

Milk may do a body good, but it’s calcium that does the body even better. This mineral is essential to our health in many ways, and your teeth can attest to this benefit greatly. Studies have shown that calcium acts as a fortifying agent for teeth, reducing the chances of tooth loss. The study, analyzing the oral health of 140 adults over the course of 5 years, revealed an increase in tooth retention by 40% during that time. By implementing clean eating options such as calcium rich juices, milk and cheese, you’re helping improve the strength of your teeth for years to come. They key to consuming calcium rich foods (such as cheese) is to do so in moderation.

Leafy greens

Lettuce, kale, spinach, cabbage, asparagus–get the picture? Leafy greens provide a dietary boost to any clean eating diet, and they can also feed body a variety of vitamins and minerals. Magnesium, in particular, is a prevalent mineral found in leafy greens. When the body absorbs this mineral, it helps promote strong bones and teeth. Try tossing these greens into your next healthy smoothie for a strength-inducing snack and your smile will surely thank you for it. Or, if you’d like to experiment with a different meal option, here’s a useful infographic created by Boston Organics that shows you how you can incorporate the above mentioned leafy greens (and others) into your diet in a tasty way.

Cashews, almonds and walnuts

Cashews, in particular, require energy to chew. The rigorous chewing helps promote saliva and cavity inducing bacteria. Almonds are an excellent source of calcium and promote the development of healthy gum tissue. Because we saved the best for last, walnuts provide a number of necessary elements for the body, such as dietary fiber, vitamin e, vitamin B6, iron, niacin–the list goes on. All of these elements are important to maintaining a strong smile. All three snack options also serve as an enjoyable afternoon snack and an overall beneficial addition to any clean eating diet.

Apples, celery and carrots and broccoli

What do these clean eating foods have in common? They all pack a loud crunch. Most importantly, they each do wonders for keeping our teeth clean and healthy.

• Apples are often called “nature’s toothbrush”, thanks to their fibrous texture, high water content and ability to stimulate the gums and promote saliva (which helps keep bacteria and food particles away).
• Celery and carrots also help stimulate the gums–and healthy gums mean healthy teeth. Both foods are also rich in beta carotene, a compound that helps create enough vitamin A to strengthen teeth.
• Broccoli is rich in iron that can fight off acid build-up in the teeth. Acid plays a major role in the development of tooth decay. Broccoli florets, in particular, are also a natural teeth whitener.

Plain yogurt

Plain yogurt is a staple food choice in the diet of a clean eater. Much like cheese, it’s also rich in calcium and protein and packs a strong punch in regards to our oral health. For starters, yogurt (Greek, in particular) contains probiotics (otherwise known as “good” bacteria). This bacteria helps balance out your body’s pH levels, reducing the development of cavity causing bacteria (or the “bad” bacteria). Your gums also win as a result of consuming this probiotic friendly food, which can lower your chances of developing gum disease and associated medical conditions. Additionally, yogurt helps combat bad breath–a condition even a not-so-clean eater can find unfavorable. Dental super food? We think so.

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Clean Eating and Clean Teeth Go Hand-in-Hand

While incorporating these clean eating options into your everyday diet wonders for your oral health, it does not substitute the care of a dental professional. However, coupled with routine teeth cleanings and evaluations, it’s a pretty powerful tool to help show off a brighter smile. So, after stocking up on these foods, schedule an appointment at our Cooper City dental office. Your smile will thank you for it.