Dental Emergency Spanish Fort AL

Tips For Eating Healthy, Part 2

Selecting Healthy Beverages

What we choose to drink is about as important as what we choose to eat.  When you want a drink consider consuming a beverage that has nutritional value like water, fruit and vegetable juices, and milk.  Water by itself has its benefits.  Water can increase your nutritional intake while also helping to reduce tooth decay.  Water (not all water is created equal) contains fluoride.  Water also assists with maintaining a healthy weight and enhancing cognition in children and teens.

There are drinks you should avoid consuming often, namely sports and energy drinks. These contain sugar and acid-producing ingredients.  These acids have a great effect on tooth decay.  Sugary beverages are very popular among children, teenagers, and young adults.  When they frequently consume these products it will lead to an increase in tooth decay.  Dental Emergency Spanish Fort AL

What to do AFTER Eating and Drinking

Cleaning the mouth is an important step after eating or drinking.  This will help prevent oral health issues.  Certain foods get stuck to the teeth and will lead to a greater risk of developing tooth decay.  Foods that have sugars and cooked starches like breads, crackers, pretzels, and potato chips will also linger on the teeth.  The teeth can be attacked by acid for 20 minutes or more after sugars and starches have come in contact with plaque.  It is important to remove the food debris after eating.  Some ways to do this are brushing and flossing, or at least rinsing with water.  Chewing sugarless gum, especially gum that has xylitol, will help to increase the flow of saliva.  This helps clear sugars and food debris and will neutralize the plaque acids in the mouth.  Dental Emergency Spanish Fort AL

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