The Role of Nutrition in Oral Health
Oral health is one of the most important factors when it comes to your overall health and wellness. Our mouths are the gateway to our bodies, and everything we consume must past through our mouths at first before entering into our bodies. When it comes to oral health and wellness, while flossing, brushing, and regular dental visits are important, some aspects are often forgotten. One of the most important, yet rarely mentioned aspects of oral health is nutrition and the foods we consume. According to Dr. Bella Normatov, the top dentist Forest Hills has in practice, the basics of your nutrition, in conjunction with diet and exercise, are the keys to not only good oral health but overall health and wellness, as well. Simply put what’s good for the whole body is good for your teeth, gums and other oral tissue. To better educate you on the importance of nutrition for your oral health, here are some important facts to know.
Good nutrition and diet are vital to the formation, development, and continued health of our oral tissue – including our teeth, gums, and more. All the foods we eat are composed of vital nutrients that have an effect on the body. Nutrients fall into 6 major categories – carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. In conjunction, all these nutrients perform three basic functions in the body – to provide fuel or energy, regulate body processes, and contribute to the building of the body’s tissues. As per Dr. Bella Normatov, considered the top dentist Forest Hills has to offer, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important to your oral health and the health of your oral tissue. But what exactly is a healthy, well-balanced diet? It’s a diet based on 3 major principles, variety, balance, and moderation.
Variety
One of the most important aspects of a diet that is beneficial to your oral health, is a diet that is diverse and has a lot of variety. It is important for you to include a number of different foods, as no single food can meet all of your daily nutritional needs and requirements. Mixing up the constituents of your food, to ensure it has a balance of fruits, veggies, proteins, whole grains, and is light on sugars, fats and processed foods it vital. Variety also ensures your meals are more interesting and you don’t get bored of the same, mundane food choices over and over.
Balance
The second major aspect to a healthy diet, is balance. In order to achieve balance in your diet, it is important to consume the recommended foods, in appropriate amounts for you. Using a guide such as the MyPyramid food guide, outlines the importance of fruits, veggies, proteins, dairy and grains. Just make sure you don’t overdo it in one area!
Moderation
The next aspect of a healthy oral health diet is moderation. According to the foremost dentist Forest Hills has to offer, Dr. Bella Normatov, choosing foods and drinks in the right portions and serving sizes is vital to your oral health. This allows you to control the amount of calories, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and other nutrients you might consume. It also ensures you place a limit on unhealthy food items like candy or items with processed sugars.
Not only are these tips important to your oral health, but they help to prevent certain chronic diseases, like heart disease or cancer, while benefitting your overall health and wellness as well. In addition, these foods allow you to have a healthy immune system to fight off possible infections. For more information about dental care or oral health, contact the team at Soft Touch Dental today.
