Sunday 22 March 2015

What Foods Can Benefit Your Oral Health?



A healthy and well-balanced diet can have a significantly positive effect on your oral health, according to leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon, Dr Tariq Drabu. What many people don’t realise is that their eating and lifestyle choices have an impact on oral health. Poor diet, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can result in tooth decay, gum disease and is also a leading cause for oral cancer.

Milk is something that everyone should be taking advantage of to help them boost and improve their oral health. Milk is rich in calcium and promotes healthy teeth. The sugars in mild are also the least damaging. Though you shouldn’t drink it during the night, so remember to brush right before bed to ensure your teeth remain strong and healthy.
Green tea is another must if you want to improve your oral health moving forward. Green tea is brimming with polyphenols that protect the teeth. Green tea is also very effective in removing plaque. Plague bacteria cause tooth decay and gum disease, which is why it’s so important to ensure you remove the plaque with regular brushing, flossing and a healthy diet.

Cheese is another great food for your oral health. Cheese is non-acidic and is filled with calcium to protect the teeth. Calcium is important to improve healthy teeth and bones, so enjoying a diet with cheese and milk can make a significant and positive impact on your oral health.

Ensure you add plenty of fruit and vegetables to your diet, Dr Tariq Drabu recommends. Fruit and vegetables require that you crunch down on them and chew; this increases the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is alkaline and can reduce the risk of tooth decay and promote healthy teeth and gums. You will also find that some fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols, which offer protection for teeth.

Yoghurt is another great addition to a healthy and well-balanced diet to promote healthy teeth and gums. Yoghurt is brimming with protective bacteria, known as live active bacteria. Yoghurt is also filled with proteins and probiotics, along with calcium, a complete diet for your teeth.

Consider adding some raisins to your diet. Many people are under the false impression that raisins are bad for teeth. DrTariq Drabu recommends eating raisins as they are high in fibre and also have oleanic acid, which is an antibacterial against plaque bacteria.

Of course there are foods which should be eliminated from the diet to ensure healthy teeth and gums at all times. Citrus fruits may be rich in Vitamin C, but they are not the best friends for teeth as they are very high in acid. If you enjoy an orange or lemon now and again, ensure you brush regularly to remove the acid from your mouth.

Another thing that many people add to their diet believing that they promote good health is cereals. In fact, cereals are high in sugar and can also stick to the teeth for hours. Try and eliminate or reduce the amount of cereals you eat.

Sodas and fruit juices should be replaced with water. Even sugar free and low sugar sodas can be harmful to teeth and according to Tariq Drabu, what many don’t realise is that fruit juices also contain high sugar contents which can be damaging to the teeth and cause tooth decay.


It is imperative that you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes a time with a fluoride tooth paste. The most important brush is before bed and then once more during the course of the day. In addition to this, you must floss to remove plaque and debris which your toothbrush wasn’t able to reach.

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