Discover how the health of your smile and your diet are linked.

While it seems obvious to say that what you eat affects your health, many people forget that what they put in their mouths also directly impacts the health of their smiles. Food contains nutrients that we need to keep teeth and bones strong and our gums healthy. From the office of our East Lansing, MI dentist, Dr. Thomas Faiver, discover some helpful dietary tips for how to keep your smile looking and feeling its best.

What Stains Your Teeth

If you are someone who can’t get through the morning without a cup of coffee (okay, several) then you may be dealing with some pretty nasty yellow stains. Red wine, dark teas, sports drinks, tomato sauce, berries and dark condiments can all leave your smile looking a bit dull. If you want to keep your smile looking its whitest, you’ll want to stay away from these foods and drinks.

What Erodes Your Teeth

If you want to prevent teeth from cavities of course it goes without saying that you need to brush and floss regularly. But when it comes to what you should and shouldn’t eat, acidic foods and beverages like white wine, citrus, sodas and certain candies can eat away at enamel, which can cause decay. Pretty much, if you want to get a cavity-free bill of health from our East Lansing general dentist, stay away from anything with sugar, which destroys healthy enamel.

What Can Break Teeth

Certain foods can also damage teeth or dental restorations. Try to stay away from very hard foods, chewy candies, ice or corn on the cob. Even just one bite into a popcorn seed is enough to crack a tooth or break a crown.

What Causes Dry Mouth

While dry mouth may not seem like a serious issue, it can increase your chances of bad breath, decay and even gum disease. Dry mouth culprits include coffee, tea, sodas or alcohol.

Before you stress over all the things you can’t eat, note that there are actually quite an extensive list of things you can eat that is good for your smile. Enjoy vegetables and crunchy fruits like apples that can actually promote cleaner teeth. Also cheese, yogurt, milk and other low-fat dairy products are great ways to strengthen teeth and bones. And if you can’t quite kick your love of caffeine, opt for unsweetened green or white tea.

While what you eat is very important to your oral health, even if you are a healthy eater you still need to visit our East Lansing, MI dental office for routine care. Call us today to schedule your next cleaning with us.