Will Becoming Vegan Affect My Smile? | Snohomish Dentist

In this day and age, everyone is trying to keep their bodies in the best shape they can in order to last a little longer on the planet. And it is a great idea to be healthier, but it is important to know how a diet change will affect your body in the long run to make sure it is the right choice for you. Because November is  World Vegan Month, let’s take a look at how switching to a plant-based diet will affect your oral health. The first thing one would think about having a plant-based diet is the loss of dairy – don’t we need calcium for strong bones and teeth? The answer is still yes, but you can get calcium into your system without dairy products. You can go the health store route and use supplements, but you can also get these important nutrients through nuts, fruits and vegetables. In order to get every bit of calcium you can, you also need fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K. Sound complicated? It’s not – and can also be handled by food.

Vitamin A. Vegans focus on beta-carotene to get their vitamin A. It can be found in supplements, but also in foods like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato and squash.

Vitamin D. The best source of vitamin D is the good ol’ sun and soaking it in as much as possible is ideal, but if you are looking for a yummy substitute, choose the mushroom.

Vitamin K. Keeping our teeth bright and healthy is important and that is where the greens come into play. Get your salads out – it’s the kale, spinach and broccoli are the stars in this category.

If you would like more information about vegan dental tips, call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

Dr. Haines proudly serves Snohomish, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Everett, Mill Creek, Woodinville, and surrounding areas.