Winter wellness tips for your teeth and gums
Winter is well and truly upon us, and with it comes cold nights, rainy days and comfort food! We look at how to keep your teeth and gums healthy during the colder months, including foods to avoid and produce that will keep your oral health in perfect condition.
The colder months see us digging out those warm clothes and stocking up on vitamins to keep ourselves healthy as temperatures drop. As we focus on wellness during winter, it is important to remember to take care of your oral health, as it’s the gateway to your respiratory and digestive tracts.
Dental friendly foods
Include crunchy fruits and vegetables on your winter grocery lists this year. Apples and other crunchy high-fibre fruits can help reduce plaque on teeth, while celery and carrots contain water and require a lot of chewing which can help scrub tooth surfaces. The water and fibre in these vegetable balance sugars and help clean teeth. Also, celery has fibrous strands, making this vegetable nature’s floss!
Milk, cheese, and yoghurt are calcium-rich foods that contain casein and phosphorus which can protect tooth enamel. Cheese is actually considered to be beneficial for your teeth and your mouth as it returns the natural acid balance and helps to prevent tooth decay. Meat, tofu and fatty fish are full of phosphorus, and the bonus is you can also source it from making a bone broth – perfect for warming up on a cold day.
Make sure you load up on green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and kale. Not only are they packed full of vitamins and minerals, leafy green vegetables contain folic acid which helps to improve the health of teeth and gums.
Tone down the hot beverages
Colder weather means we often turn to hot drinks to keep us warm, such as tea, coffee, or a delectable hot chocolate. We advise to keep these drinks in moderation for the health of your teeth, as the sugar in these beverages encourages tooth decay. Remember that nothing keeps your mouth healthy like water does; We tend to drink less water in the colder months, and dehydration can cause a variety of issues in the mouth, including bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Water also helps with the production of saliva, which contains bacteria-fighting agents that helps your mouth combat harmful acids.
Take care of your cavities
We all love the comfort of carbs when it’s dreary outside, however regular intake of carb-heavy, starchy dishes not only adds more sugar but also makes your mouth more vulnerable to tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Stay on top of your oral hygiene by brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, and rinsing your mouth out with water after you eat.
To stay on top of your oral health, make an appointment with one of our team!