Park Ridge Implant Dentists: A Diet Your Smile Can Appreciate

Considering the fact that your teeth’s main purpose is to tear, shred, and grind your food to prepare it for digestion, you might not be surprised to learn that what you eat and drink can influence your oral health. After all, most of us have been told since an early age to refrain from cookies, cakes, and candy to avoid cavities. However, the relationship between food and your oral health goes deeper than what you can brush off of your teeth. As a part of your human body, your mouth and its components require an adequate supply of minerals and nutrients to remain healthy, the majority of which you must consume through your diet. Your Park Ridge implant dentists, Dr. Maria and Thanasi Loukas, describe a few of your dental health’s nutritional necessities and where you can find them in your meals.

Good Smile Nutrition

Calcium

Calcium is perhaps best-known for its role in forming and maintaining strong bones, which is great news for your jawbone that supports and sustains your teeth. Calcium is also a vital building block (and continued requirement) of tooth enamel, which surrounds and protects your teeth, and is their strongest defense against tooth decay and damage. Your body doesn’t produce calcium, but the mineral can be found in dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese, as well as orange juice and most meats. Nutritional supplements may help you maintain an adequate calcium supply, but we advise speaking with your physician before taking any.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D facilitates your body’s absorption and use of calcium, and helps regulate calcium and phosphate concentrations for proper bone and teeth formation. Your body synthesizes vitamin D when ultraviolet rays from the sun stimulate your skin, and can be found in most dairy products, vitamin D-fortified orange juice, cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, and tuna fish.

Magnesium

Magnesium is vital to over 300 biochemical reactions within your body, including those that help maintain muscle and nerve function, as well as promote a healthy heart rhythm and strong immune system. Keeping your immune system healthy can help control the inflammatory symptoms of gum disease that help destroy your gums. The mineral is also abundant in the earth, and to meet your necessary dietary requirements, sprinkle your diet with a variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, dairy, and vegetables.

Learn More About Good Dental Health Diets from Your Park Ridge Dentists

To learn more about maintaining and improving your dental health through your diet, schedule an appointment with your Park Ridge implant dentists by calling Loukas General Dentistry at (847) 696-1919. Located in the 60068 area, we proudly serve patients from Park Ridge and the surrounding Chicago communities.