You may have heard that your body’s pH level impacts your health. Several studies have linked lower or acidic pH levels with significant health disorders like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
But did you know that your mouth’s pH level affects your dental health?
The pH level influences the health of our teeth and gums in our mouths. By eating specific foods, we can adjust that pH level. Focusing on the benefits of an alkaline diet for general health creates a ripple effect on our oral health.
Maintain good oral health by visiting your Rutherford dentist at least twice a year.
An Overview of pH Balance
Good pH balances in the mouth can lead to a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria. In addition to healthy bacteria in our mouth, some bacteria known as probiotics serve to aid digestion. These microorganisms also promote tooth and gum health.
Some food components raise the acidity of the tongue, such as sugary beverages, snacks, and grains. Food can drastically affect our mouth’s pH levels.
Although saliva might help neutralize acid, eating acidic meals can increase saliva acidity. It will not take long for harmful bacteria to accumulate on the teeth and gums if the mouth’s pH takes a long time to neutralize. An acidic mouth can lead to tooth decay with enough time and resources.
Tips To Boost Alkalinity in Your Mouth
Following are six easy ways to boost your mouth and body’s alkalinity:
- Toss in the vegetables.
Increasing our vegetable intake is one of the most powerful things we can do for our overall dental health. Our bodies require nourishment to function optimally.
- Limit your bread consumption.
Unfortunately, most bread grains are acidic. Unless they are sprouted, bread should be consumed moderately. Even if you eat them sprouted, you should keep your intake to a minimum.
- Increase your intake of beans and seeds.
Alkaline beans and seeds are abundant. Alkaline foods include soy, navy, and lima beans, for example. Also alkaline is caraway, cumin, fennel, and sesame seeds.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs.
Honey, xylitol, and beet sugar are acidic sugar substitutes.
- Don’t use condiments either.
Do you enjoy ketchup and mustard on burgers? They can also be acidic, and you may benefit from eating anything that helps neutralize acidity.
- Limit your intake of alcohol, dairy, and coffee.
Not surprisingly, wine, cheese, and coffee also contain acid. These substances should be reduced to maintain a healthy pH and prevent infections and decay.
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