Dental Care Nutrition and Holistic Dentistry

Holistic medicine has been used for centuries to treat minor and major illnesses, and is based on the premise that the mind has a powerful influence over the body. If the mind believes that the body is healing, it becomes fact, and it has been proven through decades of research that the proper frame of mind will actually accelerate the healing process. What many people do not realize is that the same principles of holistic medicine can also be applied to dental care nutrition, and can have an effect upon a person’s overall general health.

How it Works

The principles of holistic dentistry involve the belief that the human body is a strictly interdependent system. Whatever affects one part of it, affects the whole, and at its core is the belief that your diet will have a lasting effect on your teeth and gums, and through them, your body’s overall health.

With a well-balanced diet, full of the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning as it should, you can actually strengthen your teeth and gums, and improve your dental health. Combine the diet with proper dental hygiene, and you have created your own personalized dental care nutrition ideal that will keep you healthy for the rest of your life.

The Recommended Diet

For optimum physical health and dental nutrition, you need to be following a well-balanced diet, one that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, plenty of dairy products, and whole grains. To further influence the level of dental care, the amount of sugary or processed foods must be greatly reduced, limited, or eliminated entirely. Doing so will also help to prevent a host of medical conditions that could jeopardize your whole body health in the future.

Including foods high in fiber, which includes lots of fruits and vegetables; you increase the flow of saliva, which will in turn help to neutralize the acids that can destroy your tooth enamel, as well as removing any food particles. Allowing food particles to build up can lead to tooth and gum diseases, as well as cavities. Drinking eight glasses of water a day not only helps your body to reduce the amount of toxins in your system; it will also help to ward off tooth decay. Reducing or eliminating sugar in your diet will not only help to prevent you developing diseases like diabetes, but will also reduce your risk of periodontal diseases developing in your gums, which can later lead to heart attacks and strokes.

The Benefits of a Good Dental Diet

By adopting a diet that will provide you with the necessary vitamins and minerals to support good dental health, you are also supporting your body’s immune system. A healthy immune system will let you fight off viral and bacterial infections, and reduce your risk of later developing some very serious medical conditions. When it comes to good dental health, a strong immune system will prevent gingivitis, which can destroy your gums, and periodontal bacterial infections, which can destroy the gums and the bones that support your teeth. And, this is just the beginning.

There are two very important vitamins and minerals that have a direct influence over your dental health. Calcium is a mineral that is used by the body to build strong teeth and bones, especially those that support your teeth. Your diet should include at least 1000 mg of calcium daily, which can be gotten through supplements, dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables. The most important vitamin of all, vitamin C, strengthens your immune system, and is a major defense against gingivitis. Good dental care nutrition dictates that you must get at least 60 mg of Vitamin C daily, the very amount that can be absorbed by eating a single orange a day.