Surprising Dental Health Benefits of Carrot
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Carrot – The crunchy vegetable widely used in many cuisines has so many benefits. Your parents might insist you eat carrot salads or even raw carrots because they are good for your eyes. But the surprising thing is, carrots provide your oral cavity a plethora of benefits.
Apart from subtle sweetness, the hydrated vegetable contains high mineral contents say protein (0.9g), carbohydrates (9.6g), fiber (2.8g), Sugar (4.7g). Likewise, carrot is a good source of beta-carotene, the pigment that gives orange color to this veggie. Our body converts this pigment into Vitamin A that benefits our teeth as well as eyes.
Keep reading to know the carrot benefits for your dental health.
1) It contains the healthy elements our mouth needs
Carrots contain the mineral compounds at concentrated levels that are inevitable for the tooth’s well-being. Along with the above-mentioned elements, the fibrous herb holds the following nutritional contents:
- Vitamin A – The fat-soluble vitamin is essential to boost the immune system which helps in combat plaque and tartar build-up. Similarly, Vitamin A plays a great role in fortifying our tooth enamel.
- Vitamin K1 – It takes care of strengthening the jaw bone and boosting your gum health. So you can prevent irregularities like TMJ disorders and periodontal diseases.
- Biotin – This vitamin is responsible for converting food into energy and synthesizing fat & protein metabolism. This process benefits our body in many ways like regulating blood glucose levels, strengthening gum health, and so on.
2) It strengthens your jaw bone
The volume of bone in the jaw is crucial to hold the teeth in their place as the jaw bone holds the teeth’s sockets and roots. Besides this, moving the upper and lower jaw bone opposition to each other make the jaw bone functional.
When the jaw bone becomes weak, it leads to problems like loose teeth, teeth mobility, and especially Temporomandibular disorders that provoke chronic facial pain.
Researchers observed that vitamin K1 and beta-carotene in carrots benefit the jaw bone health as these minerals can strengthen the bone.
3) It encourages Saliva Production
Similar to Broccoli, carrot is also a fibrous vegetable. Chewing fibers will induce the salivary glands to produce more saliva. On the other hand, carrot contains a large amount of water (88%). It also elevates the salivation flow.
Remember that saliva is a natural cleanser that is capable to swish away the disease-causing microbes in our mouth.
Oral complications like dry mouth, cavities, bad breath can be prevented by keeping yourself hydrated for more saliva production.
4) It cleans off the plaque build up naturally
Plaque, also known as dental calculus is formed when oral bacteria collaborate with saliva to form a sticky substance over teeth around the gum margins. Brushing and flossing are not capable of removing such plaque deposits. Instead, you need Professional dental cleaning to break plaque build-up.
Carrots because of their ability to produce more salivation can break the dental calculus naturally if you do eat carrots regularly.
5) It can clean your teeth surface
Brushing is essential to remove the sticky substances and food debris lodged between the teeth. In the meantime, removing such carb deposits on the grooves of back molars is quite difficult. Hence dentists recommend appliances like flossing wire and interdental brush to aid your oral hygiene regimen.
Surprisingly, brushing your teeth with a carrot stick also helps clean off the sticky carbs deposited over the teeth. The hard, crunchy textures of carrots scrub away the stains on teeth. You feel dubious regarding this. Give it a try and see the difference.
We do not mean you skip brushing with a regular or electric toothbrush you are using. Our dentists recommend brushing your teeth with a carrot stick after brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste.
Bottom line
Taking carrots or cuisines prepared with carrots in a regular manner brings your body enormous amounts of minerals and healthy enzymes. They are good for your teeth and gums as well as your eyes.
