As a dental practice, we talk a lot about teeth, proper bites and treating temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. It’s kind of what we do. But, we are also concerned about other parts of the mouth, too. One of those parts we keep in mind with everything we do to keep your mouth healthy is the gums. Legends Dental offers patients in Waco, Texas, and the surrounding area a wide range of dental care options, including specialized treatment for TMD and sleep apnea.

Why Worry About the Gums?

The gums play a vital role in your mouth. They help keep your teeth attached to your jaw, protect your jawbones and other structures in the mouth, and defend your mouth against bacteria every day. As the gums are so important, we need to remember to take care of them while we are taking care of our teeth, too.

One way we can take care of our gums is by eating a healthy diet rich in foods that support gum health. These foods include:

Onions. Onions are a great food to include in your diet because they can benefit your gums by neutralizing the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay. Add onions to your meals, burgers, salads, sauces and soups.

Dark, leafy greens. Dark greens such as kale, arugula and spinach are chock full of vitamins and minerals that help to protect your gums. These vitamins include vitamin C, which plays a critical role in reducing gum inflammation. Another benefit of eating dark greens is that they require more chewing, which means more saliva. More saliva means that food, bacteria and sticky dental plaque get flushed away from the gums. We recommend that you add dark greens to salads, sandwiches and soups regularly to get the most benefits. Also, we recommend increasing your consumption of citrus fruits because of their high vitamin C content.

Green tea. Several research studies have shown the benefits of green tea in reducing inflammation in the mouth. This happens because green tea is full of powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and fight off gum-disease-causing bacteria. Researchers recommend drinking at least one cup of green tea a day to benefit your oral health.

Peppers. Peppers are an excellent weapon in battling gum disease. This is because they are high in vitamin C and also contain capsaicin, a compound that makes them spicy. Capsaicin actually helps to reduce inflammation.

Dairy products. You may already know that dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are optimal for oral health because they contain high amounts of calcium, which strengthens your bones and tooth enamel. But, these products are also great for your gums because they contain casein, a protein that helps to neutralize the acids produced by gum-disease and tooth-decay-causing bacteria. We suggest drinking milk daily and adding in yogurt and cheese to your diet daily.

Talk to us about your gum health. We’d love to hear from you. Give Legends Dental a call today at 254-799-9540 for more information about our services.