What you eat not only affects your oral health, but you overall health as well. It is important to be conscious of the food you are consuming. So before you eat think about what should be on your plate.
Whether it’s a quick snack or a full course meal, you should be mindful of your food choices. By making the choice to be mindful of what you are eating you are making the decision to include foods in your diet that are good your overall health. Tooth decay, periodontal disease and other health issues can be prevented by having a well-balanced diet. If you wondering how you can make it simple to eat better, it’s easy. All starts with choosing the right foods. The best way to do this is by choosing foods from the five food groups known as the building blocks for healthy dieting. Those food groups are: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.
What’s in each group?
Fruits:
Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
See the Fruit Group food gallery for examples.
Veggies:
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the Vegetable Group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Grains:
Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.
Protein: All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group.
For more information on beans and peas, see Beans and Peas Are Unique Foods.
Dairy: All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Most Dairy Group choices should be
See the Dairy Group food gallery for examples. fat-free or low-fat. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group. Foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not. Calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage) is also part of the Dairy Group.
At
Wentz Orthodontics we care about the health of all of our patients. In addition to your health, while under orthodontic treatment being mindful of what you eat also means
eating foods that are safe for your orthodontic appliance. There are certain dietary habits that are known to cause breakage of orthodontic appliances. Our aim is to achieve the treatment goals with as few disturbances as possible due to appliance breakage, and to minimize the side effects of poor diet choices. Remember, teeth move best in a healthy environment and in individuals with excellent overall health. Be sure you have a well-balanced diet.
There’s a variety apples you can to choose from such as Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples.
Sugar particles spark overproduction of acid and plaque in our mouths which creates tooth decay. Acid breaks down enamel in teeth causing erosion that can cause pain and cause teeth to become very sensitive. The more sugary soft drinks, the more acid that is produced, the bigger problem you have. Plaque is a soft, sticky film that builds up on your teeth and contains millions of bacteria. The bacteria in plaque can cause tooth decay and gum disease if not removed. Also, if you’re consuming drinks with lot of sugar while having braces you may find that your teeth have white spots, which is a condition called decalcification. When sugar is left on the teeth you can be left with a buildup of grim under your braces, thus causing white spots called decalcification.
What is a mouth guard? (according to mouthhealty.org)
3. Whole Wheat Bread – Whole wheat bread gives kids their iron, vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. So instead of making a sandwich on white bread for lunch you can use Whole Wheat Bread instead. It’s a little change that will make a big impact.
You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food becomes caught in the brackets and between your teeth. Brushing after meals and flossing will help prevent plaque from forming and should become part of your daily schedule. We know that it can be a pain to floss around your braces, but flossing is the best way to prevent gum disease and other oral health problems. If you find flossing with braces difficult, don’t give up on it. There are tools that can help. Ask us about Floss Threaders. Floss Threaders definitely make flossing with braces much easier.
Every day when you brush your teeth, check to make sure you do not have any loose braces by gently trying to slide each one. If a wire or band comes loose, do not be alarmed. If a tie wire is protruding and irritating, use a blunt instrument (the back of a spoon or a pencil eraser) to carefully push the wire out of the way. If you have a broken or loose appliance, please call us to determine if your breakage is urgent and requires immediate repair.
It’s going to get pretty hot this summer here in Lubbock and all around Texas. When you’re out in the sun you have to stay hydrated, but make sure you are drinking fluids that are good for you. Sports drinks that claim to help you with endurance usually are high in sugar. Super sugary drinks are not the best for your teeth. Sugar produces acid that causes tooth decay which can lead to cavities among other issues. To stay hydrated your best option is to drink lots of water.
Guard your grill
1. Cheese: Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth. In addition to providing calcium, cheese also helps fight cavities. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Cheese stimulates the body’s salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Also…the Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese prevents decreases in the plaque’s ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.
3. Oatmeal: Instead of high-sugar, high-fat options from the grocery store, try baking a batch of low-fat oatmeal cookies. Raisins, cranberries, dried apricots and nuts can be great additions to the cookie dough because of their nutritional value & taste.
Dairy products: cheese, milk, yogurt
Both teas contain polyphenols which can suppress or kill bacteria that could attack the teeth.
See the Fruit Group food gallery for examples.
