Better Diet, Better Dental Health

A good, balanced diet can be great for your general health, but what you may not be so familiar with, is the level of importance that a good diet has in maintaining your dental health. This blog sheds some light on the role that your diet can play in making sure your teeth stay in a healthy condition as well as the repercussions that poor eating and drinking habits can have on your dental health.

Sugar

Of course, excessive consumption if sugar isn't advisable. And when it comes to our dental health, failure to effectively regulate the amount of sugar in our diet can lead to tooth decay. According to the NHS, the recommended amount of sugar to be consumed by adults is 30 grams of free sugars (7 sugar cubes approx'). Free sugars are sugars added to food and drink such as chocolate, biscuits, flavoured yoghurt and fizzy drinks; they are also found in unsweetened fruit juices, smoothies, honey and syrups.

The sugar contained naturally in fruit, milk and vegetables is not classed as free sugars.

Lowering Your Sugar In-take

Avoid drinking fizzy, sugary beverages and squash, and try opting for drinks that are no-added sugar, or diet, or ones that are sugar-free. Or simply choose a glass of water. If however, you still would like a sugary fizzy drink, maybe try mixing no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water to create something similar to a standard fizzy beverage. Attempt to not drink more than 150ml of unsweetened fruit juices or smoothies.

Another tip to employ in regard to sugar in drinks is to put sweetener in your tea or coffee instead of sugar. Or think about slowly cutting-down the quantity of sugar you put into your drink on a regular basis until you reach a point where you will not have any sugar in your drink.

Food

There are ways to bring your sugar in-take down regarding food, as well. Choosing a reduced sugar spread for your toast, or putting something else on there instead, such as banana or a low-fat cream cheese, is a good way of making your breakfast a little healthier. You can also shop for foods that have lower amounts of added sugar and seek-out the reduced sugar alternatives. The nutrition or ingredients labels should include this info' for you.

If you are cooking from a recipe, check how much sugar and other unhealthy ingredients are being used. You can either use a healthier alternative (and often tastier!), or simply reduce the amount used. For breakfast, unsweetened whole grain cereals are particularly good for you. Try also to avoid breakfast cereals that are frosted or covered in honey or chocolate. If you are a bit put-off by the lack of sugar in your unsweetened breakfast cereal, you could try introducing some dried fruit, berries or bananas to it, for a sweeter taste. When it comes to purchasing tins of fruit, go for those in juice, and not syrup.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is commonly not conducive to good dental health. Alcohol can remove the surface from your teeth, creating a loss of enamel as a consequence. This is problematic, as the loss of enamel can mean that having a filling will become necessary. Additionally, high-levels of alcohol consumption is linked to a heightened chance of mouth cancer.

Staining

Another part of our teeth being in a healthy condition, is them being white and free-from stains, and it's also something that makes our smile appear that little bit nicer, too. Eating and drinking in the right way will help to keep your teeth healthy and help ensure that they do not become stained. Drinking tea and coffee is one way that your teeth can become stained, so it is advisable to limit how many of these drinks you have. Other types of food and drink that can create staining are curry, red wine, beetroot, cola and tomato-based sauces.

Anything Else?

As previously stated, ensuring you eat and drink healthily and avoiding certain types of food is key to good dental health. But to make sure that you are caring for your teeth properly, read these tips and check that you are doing what you can on a daily basis to maintain your dental health.

• Brushing twice a-day; preferably with an electric toothbrush
• Using mouthwash
• Flossing
• Regular visits to the dentist
• Not postponing any dental treatments that are required
• Using sugar-free gum

MSC- Midlands Smile Centres

Whatever problem you have with your teeth, whether it's cosmetic or something more essential, MSC are always worth contacting. They boast several practices throughout Birmingham, making them easy to reach. MSC are staffed by a team of highly experienced and superbly skilled dentists that can offer you a whole range of dental treatments at affordable prices.

Get In Touch With MSC Today To Find-Out How They Can Help You!!