While Enjoying The Holidays Establish Proper Nutrition To Improve Your Oral Health

While you attend your various holiday gatherings

, it is important to pay attention to the foods that you eat and drinks you consume. Choosing the right foods for your diet is vital in maintaining healthy teeth and good oral hygiene. By establishing proper nutritional habits in kids and teenagers, you can instill good eating patterns throughout their lives.

With proper nutrition, you may be able to prevent two of the most common diseases - tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. Tooth decay results when acid products from oral bacteria destroy your teeth and other hard tissues of the mouth. Certain foods and combinations of food are linked to higher levels of cavity - causing bacteria. Take charge of your smile this holiday season by practicing proper nutrition.

Plan Meals and Snacks Properly

When planning meals, be sure to choose a well-balanced food assortment that provides a good balance of moderation and variety. Develop eating habits that follow the recommendations of reputable health organizations and choose foods from the five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, milk and dairy products and meat, chicken, fish or beans.

Additionally, avoid fad diets that limit or eliminate entire food groups, which usually result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Make sure to always keep your mouth moist by drinking lots of water because saliva protects both hard and soft oral tissues. If you have a dry mouth, supplement your diet with sugarless candy or gum to stimulate saliva.

Foods that stick to your teeth promote tooth decay, so avoid soft, sticky foods such as cakes, candy and dried fruits. Instead, choose foods that are healthy for your teeth such as nuts, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese and sugarless gum or candy.

Nutrition and Your Child's Oral Health

Good eating habits that begin early in childhood can go a long way to ensuring a lifetime of good oral health. Good nutrition is essential for good dental health in children. Proper eating habits and food preferences are established early in childhood, making good nutrition vital in younger years. If your child suffers from poor nutrition, it can eventually lead to poor health, obesity, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.

Most children crave sugary and other junk food that they see in TV commercials or other children eating. For this reason, parents should try to control what their children eat as much as possible. Dietary habits also contribute to the development of dental caries in children because foot that remains on the teeth provides a breeding ground for bacteria to thrive in dental plaque. If children do not eat a proper, balanced diet, their teeth may not properly develop. In order for them to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth, children need a well-balanced diet with emphasis on calcium, phosphorus and proper levels of fluoride.

Always ask your dentist in Mill Creek if you are not sure of how your nutrition may affect your oral health. Your dentist will be able to help guide you and your family on a path of good nutrition and optimal oral health.

by: Gen Wright

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