In an effort to be healthier or more environmentally conscious, more people have been adopting either a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle nowadays. Such diets can be very beneficial to your body, if they are done right. However, many fail to account for how their new meatless diet might affect their oral health.
One of the benefits of meat that you don’t hear people talk about too much is that it scrubs your teeth as you chew. Both low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, meat is good at removing plaque, sugar, and food. A lot of fruits and vegetables have a similar effect, but they also contain more sugar for your oral bacteria to feed off of.
If you’re looking to assume a meatless diet, you will want to seek out foods that better replicate the effect of eating meat. Good low-sugar, high-fiber foods include beans, legumes, and whole grains. Not only will these scrub your teeth, but they are also a fair source of meatless calcium to help you keep up healthy teeth.
