The Role of Nutrition in Integrative Dentistry

Integrative dentistry, also known as holistic dentistry, recognizes the vital connection between the mouth and the rest of the body. A healthy mouth plays a significant role in digestion, breathing, and speech; a great smile is essential for self-confidence.

Your mouth is also the entry point to your digestive tract, which includes all the organs that process your food. Strong, healthy teeth begin the process of digestion by biting and grinding the food. The saliva in your mouth contains enzymes that break down food before you chemically swallow it. This first stage of digestion helps your digestive tract absorb all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.

Integrative dentistry also focuses on how the food you eat affects the health of your teeth, from the inside out.

Protecting Your Smile with Integrative Dentistry

Diet is the food you eat, whereas nutrition describes the positive effects foods have on your body.

Your diet affects the health of your teeth by providing your body with nutrients that keep your enamel strong. While tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the human body, bacteria and acids can weaken enamel.  

Nutrients essential for healthy teeth, and the foods that contain them

In all, food contains at least 40 different nutrients. You do not need to consume all 40 for a healthy smile, but you do need to eat a balanced diet. Here are some nutrients that can protect your teeth, and the foods that contain them.

Calcium

Calcium strengthens teeth by forming hydroxyapatite, the main mineral in tooth enamel. Calcium-rich foods include:

  • Milk, cheese, and other dairy foods
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Bread made with fortified flour

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps your digestive tract absorb calcium. You can get vitamin D in foods such as:

  • Fatty fish
  • Cod liver oil
  • Eggs

Vitamin C

Vitamin C supports the production of collagen, a protein that helps gum tissue stay healthy and strong. Foods with vitamin C include:

  • Citrus fruits
  • Berries
  • Peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Potatoes

Phosphorus

Phosphorus works with calcium to create hydroxyapatite. You can add more phosphorus to your diet by eating:

  • Dairy products
  • Meat, poultry, seafood, and fish
  • Eggs
  • Seeds and nuts
  • Beans, lentils
  • While grains

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatories, which means they help protect against swelling associated with early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) and late-stage gum disease (periodontitis). Omega-3 fatty acid foods include:

  • Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines
  • Certain nuts and seeds
  • Plant oils

Some nutrients can damage your teeth

Sugar

Sugar is notoriously bad for oral health because it feeds bacteria that cause cavities.

More than 300 species of bacteria live in your mouth. Two of these species, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, cause cavities. These bacteria feed on the sugars in your food; as they eat, they produce acid that can erode your tooth enamel to cause cavities.

Acidic foods and drinks

The acid in some foods and beverages can erode tooth enamel. In a process known as demineralization, acid can also remove important minerals from tooth enamel. Demineralization weakens the structure of tooth enamel, leaving teeth vulnerable to cavities and other oral health issues.

After consuming acidic food and drinks, wait at least an hour before brushing your teeth to give saliva a chance to rinse away the acid. Waiting to brush also allows saliva to rebuild your enamel.

Some beverages are quite acidic. These drinks include:

  • Citrus juices, such as orange, lemon, and grapefruit juice
  • Fruit juices, such as apple and pineapple juice
  • Coffee and tea
  • Soft drinks and sports drinks – the carbonation process that makes drinks fizzy creates carbonic acid to make soft drinks acidic; even sugar-free soft drinks and sports drinks are acidic

Acidic foods include:

  • Sour candies
  • Some fresh fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit
  • Dried fruits, especially those that stick to teeth

To learn more about the many foods and beverages that protect your teeth from, and integrative dentistry, connect with your integrative dentist at Smiles by Shields. We are the cosmetic dentist Jacksonville residents count on for a great smile!