Although regular dental visits along with brushing and flossing your teeth are the best ways to ensure good oral health, your diet can also affect the health of your gums and teeth. Dentists, Seattle and nationwide, see patients all the time that compromise their dental health because they eat a poor diet that includes sugary colas and sodas, nutrient free carbohydrates, and plain old junk food. This article looks at how dentists Seattle help their patients achieve great oral health by eating their way to healthy teeth.

Limiting Sugar Intake

Limiting your intake of sugar is good for your dental health. That’s no secret, and one of the most common speeches dentists give their patients and parents give their children. However, even though it’s a common speech to hear and everyone knows limiting your sugar intake is good for your teeth, it’s somehow still hard to stick to it.

Sugar can cause poor oral health because it sticks to your teeth. In particular, sticky sugar likes to stick to plaque. Then it forms into an acid that can quickly attack the enamel of your teeth. With time, this causes tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease.

The best way to limit your sugar intake is by avoiding the obvious bad foods, including cookies, ice cream, candy, and soda. While these foods are obvious, many people don’t realize that even some foods they think of as healthy may contain just as much or even more sugar than obvious sugary foods. This includes healthy foods like fruit juice, fruit chewy snacks, and even granola bars.

Eating Enough Vegetables

Getting the right amount of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins is not only important for good dental health, but it’s also critical for good overall health. A balanced diet that includes plenty of vegetables is one of the best ways to get enough nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Instead of eating a diet that includes mostly vegetables, many people either totally avoid vegetables, or make them the smallest part of their diet, opting for foods that are more sugary. You can truly enjoy some healthy or sugary snacks without guilt if you regularly eat a diet full of mostly vegetables.

Carbohydrates And Whole Grains

When it comes to carbohydrates other than sugar, it’s best to stick with the whole-grain variety. Many people eat carbohydrates that break down into sugar quickly instead of whole-grain carbohydrates that stick with you longer and don’t turn into sugar as part of the metabolism process.

These carbohydrates include white rice, white pasta, and white bread. By choosing whole-grain bread, wheat pasta and, and brown rice over the non-whole-grain varieties, you can take a huge step toward better dental health.

Drink Plenty Of Water

Lastly, one of the most common dietary areas overlooked is making sure you drink plenty of water. You need to drink plenty of clean water every day. In fact, water is the most important part of a good diet that leads to good oral health. Dentists Seattle recommended drinking enough water to stay adequately hydrated. You’ll also keep your mouth moist by drinking water, which will help prevent tooth decay and disease. Water will wash away any food particles and can even neutralize acid in your mouth to protect your tooth enamel.

You can take a giant step toward great overall health and oral health by taking this advice from dentist Seattle. Don’t forget to make your appointment with dentist Seattle today.