There’s no health without oral health. Most people don’t realize that there’s a reciprocal relationship between diet, nutrition, and oral health. The food you eat or consume impacts the surrounding soft tissues of your mouth, and consequently, the health of your mouth influences your nutrient consumption. So, if you think you only need to focus on your diet for weight loss or to get skinny, you might be forgetting the crucial aspect where all health factors start—your oral hygiene and health. If you have issues brewing inside your mouth and leave them untreated, it can lead to future consequences such as cavities, bleeding gums, infection, bad breath, tooth loss, and several other dental problems. It all starts the moment food enters your mouth.

Having tooth pain might be an indicator that can affect your mood, work life, and day-to-day activities. It is advised that to maintain good oral hygiene, one must visit their dentist periodically to ensure that there are no forthcoming dental problems and to prevent them. You can go to a nearby general dentist Aliso Viejo for the same.

What You Eat & Drink Impacts Your Teeth

People know that eating healthy food items will make their immunity and body stronger; the same goes for your teeth, gums, and oral care. Maintaining a healthy mouth requires eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. You might want to include vegetables and fruits rich in calcium and phosphorus, as these nutrients protect and rebuild your tooth enamel. You should include items like yogurt, cheese, tofu, almonds, nuts, apples, and green leafy vegetables in your diet. Certain food items, like cheese, help maintain the appropriate pH level in your mouth, which further increases the secretion of saliva. Saliva, through remineralization, coats a thin layer upon the teeth to shield them from acids and bacteria that can damage tooth enamel.

Smoking and drinking beverages like tea, coffee, and alcohol can dry out your mouth and the surrounding cheeks, creating a perfect environment for bacteria. The bacteria multiply and accumulate on your gums, teeth, and all over your mouth, which can lead to problems like toothache, irritated gums, cavities, bleeding gums, bad breath, and tooth sensitivity in some cases. These beverages should not be consumed frequently.

Avoid Sugary Food Items:

Sugar is bad for your skin, brain, organs, and teeth—basically, your entire body. When you consume excessively sugary food, the accumulated plaque on your teeth or stuck food debris between your teeth interacts with sugar, producing acid that dissolves the enamel and attacks the teeth, forming cavities. While it may seem complicated, cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting more than half of the population, not just in California but worldwide. However, it is preventable if one remains conscious of their eating habits. Food items like soft drinks, diet Coke, fruit juices, smoothies, candies, pastries, cookies, flavored milk, flavored yogurt, and breakfast cereal are high in sugar.

You can eat whole fruits rather than making smoothies out of them. The naturally present sugar, i.e., fructose, in fruits, is enclosed in fiber, which your body needs to process in the digestive system. However, when you make fruit juices and smoothies, the sugar is immediately released and coats your teeth, causing havoc inside your mouth.

Water is something you can drink before, during, and after your meal, in the morning, and at night, as it doesn’t harm your teeth. It washes away temporary stains, bacteria, and any minute food items that might get stuck. Plus, it hydrates your mouth, leaving no space for a dry mouth.