Ankeny, IA General Dentist: Healthiest Foods for Your Teeth

Did you know that your diet affects your teeth? In fact, maintaining an unhealthy diet tends to wreak havoc upon your smile and oftentimes your waistline, too. However, by making healthy dietary choices on a regular basis, you can ensure your smile won’t endure major dental issues.

To explain which foods promote sound dental health, your Ankeny, IA general dentist, Dr. Erika Peddicord, shares the following blog post with her patients.

For a Healthier Smile, Eat More of These Foods

• Milk. Enamel is the hardest substances within your body and it’s attributed to the structure. The enamel is made from tightly packed calcium and phosphorous, which is why a daily intake of milk and dairy is incredibly important. Additionally, calcium helps fortify the gums, too. To reap these benefits, your Ankeny, IA general dentist, suggests having at least three servings of dairy products each day.
• Raw fruit. Alongside calcium, the tissues in your mouth need vitamin C to stay healthy. Eating more oranges, grapefruits, and even pineapple provides you with sufficient doses of vitamin C. Furthermore, consuming raw fruits acts as a natural toothbrush. For example, the seeds in strawberries help remove stains from teeth to make for a whiter smile.
• Crunchy veggies. Milk provides the calcium and crunchy veggies provide the phosphorous. Choosing to snack on celery sticks, broccoli, and carrots is not only good for the body, it provides healthy doses of phosphorous to keep your enamel strong.

  Moreover, eating crunchy veggies helps stimulate the salivary glands. Since saliva is the mouth’s natural defense against cavities, more of it helps ward off cavity-causing bacteria.

• Leafy-green veggies. While any type of vegetable is excellent for your overall and oral health, leafy-greens tend to top the list. Leafy-green veggies come packed with essential vitamins, plus, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, and even beta carotene.

  Your

  Ankeny, IA general dentist recommends adding more kale, cabbage, and spinach into your diet to ensure your teeth keep their top-notch health status.

Peddicord Family Dentistry Offers Oral Health Care Tips

If you would like more oral care tips and tricks to maintain your smile healthy, talk to Dr. Peddicord. She can tell you which dietary choices prove healthiest for smiles. To schedule an appointment with your Ankeny, IA general dentist, call us at (515) 963-3339. Also, visit our website for patient forms, oral care tips, and to learn about our team. We happily serve new and existing patients in Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, and Cambridge, and neighboring areas.