Dental Assistant

3 Tooth-Friendly Foods for Students in Dental Assistant Training

October 18, 2019

dental assistant college in Ontario

Some foods are better for your teeth than others. While foods like sugary candy, carbonated soft drinks and starchy foods can cause cavities and tooth decay, there are plenty of others that can work wonders for maintaining your oral health. What’s more, they’re also good for you in more ways than simply keeping your teeth healthy.

Alongside regular brushing and flossing, eating certain foods can help keep your—and your patients’—teeth in great shape. Here are three of the best foods for teeth if you’re about to start your training to become a dental assistant.

1. Cheese Can Be a Great Source of Protection Against Cavities and Tooth Decay

It’s a beloved food by many, and one with surprising benefits for your teeth. For one, cheese, like most dairy products, generally contains plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Moreover, a study from the journal General Dentistry in 2013 reported that a group of children aged 12 to 15 years old who ate cheddar cheese had lower levels of acid that can cause tooth decay compared to children who consumed sugar-free yogurt or milk. When each subject’s pH levels were measured 10, 20 and 30 minutes after consumption, a sharp increase in those levels were shown by children who ate cheese. That suggests that cheese can protect against tooth erosion and cavities. Furthermore, because cheese contains both protein and calcium, it can improve the strength of one’s tooth enamel as well.

Raisins contain phytochemicals that can stop the growth of cavity-causing bacteria
Cheese has been shown to prevent tooth decay

2. A Number of Vegetables Can Be Helpful As Well, Including Raw Carrots

There are many different types of vegetables that can be helpful for maintaining oral health, such as leafy greens, and which have other excellent health benefits. However, carrots are one food with particularly great tooth-friendly benefits. Carrot sticks can increase the production of saliva in one’s mouth, which helps lower the harmful effects of acidic foods. They are also rich in fibre and can minimize the risk of developing cavities. Plus, they are a fantastic source of vitamin A and chewing on them can help cleanse and disrupt the buildup of plaque on teeth. Since intra oral dental assistant training emphasizes educating others about maintaining optimal dental health, this is one food whose oral benefits are worth mentioning to future patients.

3. Raisins are Another Food for Those in Dental Assistant Training to Embrace

Raisins are full of fibre and iron, can decrease blood pressure, and are low in fat. Perhaps surprisingly—given their sweet and sticky nature—raisins may also help fight cavities. Raisins not include table sugar or sucrose, but they are naturally sweet in spite of this. Because sugar helps to cause bacteria to stick to the surface of teeth, plaque is produced as a result. Raisins, on the other hand, contain phytochemicals (or plant antioxidants), which can kill the plaque bacteria that lead to cavities. Although some dental experts advise against raisins because of how naturally sweet and sticky they are, those in dental assistant training should know that such phytochemicals found in raisins have been known to stop the growth of bacteria in the mouth.

Raisins contain phytochemicals that can stop the growth of cavity-causing bacteria
Raisins contain phytochemicals that can stop the growth of cavity-causing bacteria

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