05 Dec 2019
There are several ways to improve and maintain your oral and dental health. Most of us are familiar with the common ways, which is brushing teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, and visiting the dentist regularly.
At Trillium smile our goal is to educate our patients on not only how to prevent dental cavities, but also how to develop a healthy lifestyle to maintain their oral and dental health.
As everyone knows, consuming lots of sugar can lead to harmful bacterial growth that produces acids around the teeth. These acids remove calcium and phosphate from the enamel structure and cause tooth decay. Saliva naturally contains a minimal amount of calcium and phosphate; therefore it is important to ingest the recommended amounts of calcium and phosphorus through the diet every day to help the saliva repair early signs of tooth decay. Recommended dosage is as follow:
Calcium: l00mg/day for adults, and, 200mg/d for women over 50, and men over 70 Phosphorus: 700mg/ day.
We recommend you to use nutrition to improve your dental health! Make sure to eat plenty of calcium and phosphorus from plants, grains, or dairy to support strong teeth. Also, don’t forget to include Probiotics in your diet for better protection against cavities. Studies have shown Probiotic supplements can reduce the bad bacteria in the mouth.
Let us introduce some sources of natural Calcium:
The best sources of plant-based calcium are fortified products (Soy milk, Almond milk etc.) Calcium can also be obtained from cooked greens. Cooking green decreases their oxalate content, and increases the Calcium. Spinach and Broccoli are perfect examples. The best sources of plant based phosphorus are whole grains and beans. Cheese is another great source of Calcium. Maintaining normal phosphate and calcium levels are essential for the development, maintenance and repair of bones and teeth.
In addition to adding more sources of Calcium and Phosphorus to your diet, we recommend to cut more acidic beverages, processed food and soft drinks. We also recommend reducing the number of times you eat during the day. Frequently snacking causes the environment of your mouth to remain acidic throughout the day and increases the risk of cavities.
Preserving good oral health starts early in life by developing healthy lifestyle and practicing appropriate dental care.