Is Your Mouth Hungry?

Your mouth requires a steady supply of fuel to remain strong and healthy. Most people are aware that a well-balanced diet can help them effectively manage their health and weight, but what constitutes a healthy diet for your teeth and gums? Luckily, many of the same nutrients that make any diet healthy. For instance, calcium is well-known for its contribution to healthy bones, though fewer people are aware of the various other functions that rely on calcium. The mineral also helps joints fight inflammation, enables muscles to expand and contract, and allows your brain to communicate with your nerves. As Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas explain, calcium also holds more than one vital role in your oral health maintenance. 

A Strong Smile Foundation

Calcium’s role in healthy bone maintenance is also one of its vital responsibilities in maintaining your smile. The jawbone is the foundation of your smile, supporting and sustaining your healthy teeth. Without an ample supply of calcium, the jawbone can weaken and lead to the loss of one or more teeth. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t produce calcium naturally; the mineral must be absorbed through your diet, such as through green leafy vegetables, dairy products, most meats, or nutritional supplements (especially if you’re a vegetarian or are lactose intolerant).

Your Teeth’s Protective Barrier

Aside from strengthening your smile’s support, calcium is also an essential building block of your teeth’s natural defenses. Tooth enamel, which surrounds and protects teeth, is the most resilient substance that the body produces. It’s also the most mineralized substance, and to remain a formidable barrier, enamel must continuously absorb minerals from your teeth, mainly calcium and phosphate. When you eat, some of the oral bacteria that form dental plaque convert sugar and carbs into acid that depletes your teeth of minerals and weakens healthy enamel. Ensuring a good supply of calcium, along with an effective dental hygiene routine, can help your enamel quickly regain its strength after an acid attack and help prevent the onset of tooth decay.

About Your Park Ridge Dentists:

Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas are highly-skilled restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentists serving the Park Ridge and surrounding Chicago communities. To schedule an appointment, call Loukas General Dentistry today at (847) 696-1919.