The pleasure we get from eating the foods we love can make us smile. But what about the effects those foods are having on our teeth and gums? The mouth is the gateway to the digestive system and provides an important indication of whether we’re making nutritional choices that are really something to smile about.

The dentists at the Office of Caring Dental understand that your mouth, teeth and gums are much more than just for chewing and swallowing. A consultation and examination with our highly trained staff includes a comprehensive review of our patients’ diets, including what foods they eat and how often. The forms of food we take into our bodies  — whether they are solid, liquid, sticky or slow to dissolve — have an impact in terms of tooth decay. Likewise, the nutritional makeup of your diet, the mix of foods you consume, and even the order in which you eat them all are important to consider. Whether you have an eating disorder, acid reflux or other medical conditions can also come into play, increasing your risk of cavities.

It’s fairly obvious that beverages like soda, lemonade, juices, sweetened coffee, and tea are bad for our teeth, and bathing them in decay produces sugars. And that popular snack foods like candy, cookies, cake, and chips generate sugar that sticks to our teeth. But did you know that some foods that have strong nutritional value can actually contain acids that will wear away tooth enamel and sugars that hang around long after mealtime? And what about sugar substitutes  — how do they affect our teeth?

The dentists at Caring Dental strive to educate our patients about many aspects of our diets to consider, including which foods and beverages will promote strong, healthy teeth and which ones to moderate or avoid. Call us today to schedule an appointment.