What To Eat To Ensure Fresh Healthy Gums

In maintaining tooth health, the best offense is a good defense.  Regular visits to the dentist are important, as is a good toothpaste.  Hydrogen peroxide, which is included in many toothpastes is valuable for it’s ability to reach bacteria hiding among gingival folds and gaps.

Is frothing action exposes anaerobic bacteria that thrive in an airtight environment oxygen-rich air contained in its bubbles.  Hydrogen peroxide has been used effectively for years in denistry.

In addition to brushing with a good toothpaste and making regular visits to the dentist, a number of nutrients have been shown to improve gum health.

Coenzyme Q10.  Coenzyme (CoQ10), a vital nutrient needed by every cell in the body to make energy, is beneficial for a variety of diseases and disorders, including periodontal disease.  In addition to energy production, QoQ10 plays a vital role as an antioxidant at the cellular level by neutralizing free radicals.

As early as the 1970’s, researchers found that gum tissue in people with periodontal disease was often deficient in CoQ10.

Calcium.  A study found that people who do not consume adequate amounts of calcium each day are at a significantly higher risk for periodontal disease.  According to the American Dietetic Association, three of four people do not fulfill their daily calcium requirement.  The study showed that men and women who had low calcium intakes (below the recommended dietary allowance) were almost twice as likely to have periodontal disease.

Folic Acid.  Studies have demonstrated that folic acid is very effective in preserving gum tissue and reducing risk of gingivitis and periodontitis.  Although the benefits of oral folic acid in protecting against heart disease and bith defects are well documented, new evidence suggest that using folic acid topically (as a mouthwash) can also strengthen one’s oral defenses.

Studies have demonstarted folic acid’s ability to improve gingivitis symptoms, reduce gum’s inflammatory response, and make gum tissue more resilient to irritants such as bacteria and plaque.

Folic acid has been clinically tested in mouthwash solutions to assess  its benefit of treating gingivitis.  One study showed significant improvement after four weeks of using folic acid mouthwash.

Green Tea.  Green tea extract is rich in a class of antioxidants called catechins.  Two in particular, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG), combat oral plaque and bacteria.

These green tea polyphenols work as an anti-plaque agents suppressing glucosyl transferase, which oral bacteria use to feed on sugar.  It has been demonstrated that green tea extract can kill oral bacteria and inhibit collagenase activity.  Collagenase natural enzyme that becomes overactive in the presence of bacterial overgrowth, can destroy healthy collagen in gum tissue.

Green tea extract applied topically inhibits Streptococcus mutans bacteria, which have been implicated in the development of dental caries ( the decay and breaking down of teeth and their bone support.)  Scientists suggested that certain extracts from green tea might be helpful in preventing tooth decay by preventing the development of bacterial plaque.

In a Chinese study, green tea extract was used to rinse and brush the teeth.  The study demonstated that S. mutan could be inhibited after contact with green tea extract for 5 minutes.  The scientists concluded that green tea extract is effective in preventing dental caries.

Vitamin C.  People deficient in vitamin C may be at risk of developing gingivitis.  Groups of subjects with periodontal disease who normally consumed 25mg to 30mg of vitamin C daily were supplemented with an additional 70mg.  They experienced marked improvement in gum disease.

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