The New Year is a perfect time to get your body – and your smile – into shape. Did you know that many of the things you do to keep your body healthy and fit also help keep your teeth and mouth healthy?
Consuming raw vegetables and foods rich in fiber and essential nutrients can not only strengthen your teeth, but foods like celery and carrots can even clean your teeth while you eat them.
Keeping yourself hydrated can help your body maintain peak performance while exercising. In addition, it can also ensure that saliva, which is composed of 98 percent water, neutralizes harmful bacteria that could potentially harm your mouth. When you are dehydrated, your salivary glands produce less saliva creating an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that cause bad breath, gingivitis and cavities.
Maintaining a healthy weight and proper nutrition can also reduce your risk of diabetes, which can have negative effects on your oral health. Diabetes affects your ability to fight off bacteria that can cause gingivitis. If gingivitis is left untreated it can lead to advanced gum disease and potentially cause tooth loss.
It pays to keep your body and mouth healthy, recent studies have revealed some important associations between gum disease and several other debilitating and expensive-to-treat medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and the risk of premature birth. So this year, make a commitment to oral health – your smile and your body will thank you for it.
