Food is a massive part of our life. Not only is it the essential fuel that we need to survive, but it’s also one of the most meaningful ways to connect with others and build a community. With countless options available, it’s easy to focus on nutrition and taste, but have you stopped to think about how the foods you eat impact your oral health, especially gum disease?
What is gum disease?
Periodontal disease, commonly called gum disease, is a bacterial infection affecting the gum tissues. This condition occurs when individuals fail to maintain proper oral hygiene through regular brushing, flossing, and cleaning after meals. Food remnants that remain in the mouth provide a breeding ground for bacteria, which accumulate and form plaque deposits on teeth while also infecting gum tissue.
Without proper oral care, plaque will continue to accumulate and harden, and excessive buildup can result in serious complications, including receding gums, tooth loss, and deterioration of the jawbone structure. There are many ways it can affect the entire body if it continues to get worse. Periodontal disease has been linked to numerous systemic health conditions, including respiratory infections, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, reproductive health issues, and rheumatoid arthritis.
What foods are best for preventing gum disease?
Now that you understand what gum disease is and how it happens, let’s look at which foods are best to consume to prevent it.
- Protein-rich foods: Options like salmon, chicken, and grass-fed beef can support oral health when implemented into a balanced diet. Salmon is beneficial due to its high omega-3 fatty acid content, which has anti-inflammatory properties that may support gum health. While chicken and grass-fed beef both contain some omega-3s and collagen, their levels are much lower than those found in fatty fish.
- Nuts and seeds: These are great sources of nutrients. They’re filled with vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that helps protect gum tissue from oxidative damage, as well as magnesium, which supports bone health in the jaw. Walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids and contain anti-inflammatory qualities that are great for gum health.
- Dairy: Products including dairy like milk, cheese, and yoghurt are all high sources of calcium, which contains anti-bacterial enzymes that coat the teeth and reduce bacteria buildup. Just make sure not to choose yoghurts with too much sugar, because that will only cause more dental health issues.
- Fermented foods: Options like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir contain beneficial bacteria that help maintain oral health. These healthy bacteria balance the oral microbiome by competing with harmful bacteria in the mouth to keep it bacteria-free.
- Tea: Rich in polyphenols, tea can lower the risk of inflammation of gum tissue. Green tea, in particular, helps to fight gum diseases with catechins, which consist of anti-inflammatories and phenols that slow the growth of harmful bacteria.
- Fruits and vegetables: When you eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, you’re getting a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients. Different colours often indicate different beneficial compounds. Orange and yellow produce provide beta-carotene and vitamin C, leafy greens offer folate and vitamin K, red fruits and vegetables contain lycopene and anthocyanins, and purple produce is rich in antioxidants. This variety helps you to get everything you need to help your gums feel happy and healthy! Try adding broccoli, capsicum, and sweet potato this week and see how you feel.
Having a balanced diet of all these foods every week, plus the mix of cleaning them twice a day, will keep your teeth in tip-top shape.
What foods make gum disease worse?
Now, the foods that make it worse? You can probably guess. It’s going to be any of those snacks with a high sugar or acid content. Excessive sugar promotes the overgrowth of harmful bacteria along the gum line. Soft drinks, energy drinks, black coffee and sticky, sugary snacks like icy poles are particularly problematic because they bathe the teeth and gums in sugar. While citrus fruits are actually beneficial due to their vitamin C content, frequently sipping acidic beverages or sucking on sour lollies throughout the day can contribute to enamel erosion and gum irritation.
Thankfully, you don’t have to cut out the sweet treats you enjoy to take care of your teeth. You just need to consume them in moderation and make sure you clean thoroughly twice a day when you brush.
Take care of your oral health today
Strong, healthy teeth help you not only talk, taste, and eat, but they also look better than ones that are deteriorating from harmful bacteria buildup. Good oral hygiene, such as regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups, prevents the accumulation of plaque and bacteria that can lead to gum disease.
Take control of your oral health and visit us today at Oakleigh Dental! Our experts are here to guide you through your oral health journey and help you achieve exactly what you’re looking for.
Book in a consultation, a 6-month check up, or give us a call to learn more.
