Date Night Tips: Make Your Steakhouse Dinner Tooth-Friendly

Dentist Blog

Food can satisfy your hunger, but some food can stimulate your taste buds, too. You want to experience both, which is why you decided to have a steakhouse night-out. Thankfully, the following guide will help you enjoy your steakhouse visit without sacrificing your oral health.

Choose Tooth-Friendly Meat

You want real meat when you go to a steak house. And you can have that as long as you choose the right type of meat. The best type of meat to consider is bison. Bison contains a good amount of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for your body and oral health, which you can only find in animal food sources.

Vitamin B12 is responsible for proper cellular production. Your gums need constant reinforcement to stay strong. This reinforcement comes in the form of collagen, but collagen will not produce correctly without blood providing the vitamins and minerals your gums need. This is why a vitamin B12 deficiency puts you in danger of periodontal disease.

Consider Adding Cheese To Your Meal

Believe it or not, cheese contains another interesting vitamin called vitamin K2. Your body uses vitamin K2 to pinpoint weak areas in your teeth or bones. Your body will rush healthy blood cells (full of minerals and vitamins) to heal those areas.

Remember there are high amounts of vitamin K2 in aged or raw cheeses. The following are just a few cheese options you have for your night-out:

• Gouda
• Bleu cheese
• Brie
• Caciotta Alpina
• Sharp Cheddar
• Gruyere
• Parmesan
• Provolone

Talk to your waiter about other aged cheese options that they may have. You should also ask if they have unpasteurized cheese.

Don't Forget to Pack on Oral-Friendly Vegetables

The following are a few vegetables you should add to your dish:

1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes contain malic acid, which can help whiten teeth. The reason is malic acid unbinds the biofilm that bacteria and stains create to stick to your tongue or teeth.
2. Soy: Soy contains a lot of calcium, and your teeth are primarily made of calcium. Just ask the restaurant if they have soy beans or other soy products. (Other calcium sources are okra, collard greens, kelp, broccoli and celery).
3. Broccoli: Broccoli contains a good amount of vitamin C. This vitamin complements vitamin B12 (mentioned above), as it helps produce healthy collagen for your gums. This allows your gums to heal themselves.

As you can see, your steak house night-out can be very dental-friendly and satisfying.

For more information about oral care, contact Panther Hollow Dental Lodge or a similar location.

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10 March 2015