Can Oral Hygiene Help You Lose Weight?

Around this time of year, many people want to sit by the pool or go to the beach as much as possible, but is your body bathing suit ready? Making a few positive changes for health can translate into not only feeling better, but looking better. Believe it or not, a focus on dental hygiene actually has benefits if you’re trying to trim down.

Cutting Out Sugar

You’ve probably been hearing that sugar is bad for your teeth from the time you could first comprehend such a concept. Sugar feeds the bacteria that cause cavities. High-carbohydrate foods are converted into sugar, so all of the things that are most dangerous to maintaining a healthy weight can also be the most likely to contribute to tooth decay. Cutting back on candy, cookies, pasta, bread, sugar, and soda, amongst many other unhealthy food choices is fantastic for weight and cavity control.

Avoiding Alcohol

Heavy drinking is a notorious way to add empty calories and extra pounds to your life. Alcohol also dries the mouth out, which provides better conditions for bacteria to breed and wreak havoc on your teeth. Alcohol can also alter our minds so that we become less concerned with hygiene, possibly neglecting brushing and flossing our teeth at night before we collapse into bed. Enjoying alcohol in moderation is great for some, but if you are watching your weight, taking a break from a nightly cocktail hour might help your weight and your teeth.

Brush Your Teeth to Lower Appetite

Dentists recommend that you brush twice a day, though after every meal is even better. When you eat, especially if your pace is very fast, it can take up to 30 minutes before you actually feel full. Brushing your teeth can suppress your appetite long enough to let your digestive system and brain play catch up. A minty-fresh mouth is not conducive to more French fries or the rest of that giant burrito. By the time the taste of toothpaste is out of your mouth, you’re likely to feel full enough to resist overeating.

Visit your Park Ridge Dentists

To schedule an appointment with one of our dentists, contact our Park Ridge, IL dentist office at 847.696.1919. Drs. Maria and Thanasi Loukas provide cosmetic, restorative, and preventive dental care to patients living in and around Chicago, Park Ridge, and the 60068 zip code.