March is National Nutrition Month and to celebrate, Dr. Gayle Bradshaw is providing her top four favorite foods that help prevent and fight off gum disease. Since gum disease is a serious condition that affects over half the population to some degree, maintaining proper oral health in The Woodlands, TX can help ensure you keep all your teeth and enjoy a long, healthy life. Without taking preventative steps against gum disease, you run the risk of losing teeth and even having disease spread to other parts of the body! And while the best defense against gum disease is proper oral care at home and routine dental appointments with your dentist or periodontist, the foods you choose to eat can have a big impact too.
The Top 4 Good Foods to Fight Gum Disease
1. Broccoli – High in Vitamin C, B1, magnesium, iron, calcium and more. These vitamins and nutrients help bolster your immune system and stave off the development of infection and bad bacteria from infecting your mouth.
2. Nuts and Seeds – Nuts and seeds are high in omega-3s, which contain important inflammatory properties. One of the first symptoms of gum disease is the development of red and inflamed gums, so having a diet high in this food can help preserve oral health due to its inverse relationship with the most basic of symptoms.
3. Celery and Apples – These household foods have been told they are good for us since we were little kids. But in regards to gum disease, these foods actually help keep our mouth and gums clean. The skin from apples helps rub away plaque on the teeth and the stringy celery is often considered to be nature’s dental floss, removing food and buildup between teeth.
4. Cacao – Surprise, chocolate (kind of) is on the list! While eating sugary chocolate is NOT recommended, raw chocolate, or the kind that is 70% or more raw chocolate can actually help you preserve oral health by fighting tooth decay! With CBH compounds in cacao, tooth enamel can be hardened which makes people less susceptible to tooth decay.
Want More Healthy Diet Tips?
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Bradshaw today to hear about the other ways you can protect your mouth from gum disease! Appointments can be made by calling 281-419-4655.