What Foods are Good for Your Gums?

Healthy gums are essential for strong teeth. For your whole life – through two sets of teeth – your gums provide necessary blood flow.

When you brush your teeth, it stimulates the soft tissue of the gums. Brushing enhances circulation and helps head off problems like gingivitis, inflammation that can lead to gum disease.

It surprises many people to find out that diet can play a role in safeguarding gum health, too.

What Foods are Good for Your Gums? A Quick Primer

To make your gums stronger, consider adding a little of these foods to your diet. They not only give gums the exercise they need but provide vitamins and nutrients that safeguard periodontal health. Plus, foods that are good for your gums are virtually always good for your teeth, too.

Ginger Root

Ginger root is a versatile ingredient associated with delicious Asian cuisines. You can add it to virtually anything or simply chew on it fresh. It is already well known for its ability to calm upset stomachs. Since it can reduce inflammation, it’s ideal for your gums.

Apples

Apples have a good reputation for protecting your health – and one of these a day can also keep the dentist away, too. That’s because they naturally help your mouth clean plaque off teeth and even between them. Due to their acid and sugar content, though, consider using mouthwash afterward.

Milk

Dairy foods like milk and cheese are a go-to pick for those who want strong gums, teeth, and bones. However, their benefits go way beyond calcium. They also contain a special protein called casein that neutralizes the acids naturally put out by aggressive plaque bacteria.

Leafy Greens

There are so many vitamins and nutrients in vegetables that science hasn’t even figured them all out yet. But the main reason greens are good for gums is even simpler. A high fiber content means more chewing, which enhances production of your mouth’s secret anti-plaque weapon: saliva.

Onions

Biting into a nice raw onion isn’t high on most snack food lists – but maybe it should be. Onions stand head and shoulders above the rest of their veggie brethren: They have a truly unique ability to wipe out some of the most dangerous bacterial strains associated with gum disease.

Of course, brushing is the most important thing you can do for your teeth and gums every day. After that, flossing is how to get healthy gums faster. Flossing even once or twice a week can get food particles from between teeth, protecting your gums in the process.

To learn more about tooth and gum health, check the dental tips blog by the experts at Ingenious Dentistry.