What you eat plays a vital part in your oral health
The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that tooth loss caused by periodontal disease is a serious concern for people in today’s ‘fast-food’ world. Tooth decay and periodontal disease are caused by a variety of factors including:
- Poor dental hygiene (not brushing your teeth often enough)
- Not getting a dental check-up often enough
- Some medications
- Smoking
- Eating sugary/starchy foods
- ‘Grinding’ of teeth, which many people when stressed
How do you chew?
A study by the University of Kent showed a correlation between types of foods you eat and your chewing habits. They found the lower jaw grows short when diets are high in softer foods or foods that require less chewing. Many processed foods are in this category, as the food is already ground up, for example in burgers. Instead of having to chew your meat it has already done for you!
Changes in jaw structure can lead to alignment problems including overcrowding of teeth making dental hygiene more difficult. Couple that with the high sugar content of these types of foods, and you have a recipe for tooth decay and gum disease.
Crunchy foods like apples, celery and carrots help your jaw do the work it was designed for, stop the build-up of dental plaque and supply you with a great source of antioxidants.
Beware the chewing gum solution
After a fast food lunch many of us reach for chewing gum to freshen our mouths and hopefully clean our teeth. But conventional chewing gum is not the solution to oral hygiene and carries with it the dangers associated with the artificial sweetener aspartame, which can lead to neurological problems.
An easy solution to oral hygiene
Yes you’ve guessed it – brush your teeth after you’ve eaten! Not just at night and in the morning but whenever you’ve eaten. Keeping a toothbrush and toothpaste in your office drawer if you’re at work is easy.
What kind of toothpaste should you use?
Well the answer is the most natural one you can find. One that also contains ingredients that will help fight mouth infections and strengthen the teeth and gums.
Another way to fight oral bacteria …
Even if you use a quality natural toothpaste, you can boost oral and gum health with a mouthwash or gargle containing Propolis.
Propolis is an all-natural antibacterial remedy that may be beneficial for strengthening your gums, accelerating healing and improving natural immunity.
As an alcohol-free liquid, Propolis can be diluted into water (just a few drops to a glass) and freely used as a mouthwash and to treat mouth infections and ulcers as well as and sore throats and colds.
