I’m here today to mention a spin off of these diets that happens to include a “type” of meat, though not traditional meat as you’d think of it: pescatarianism.

Being pescatarian means you follow the diet of a vegetarian or vegan (depending on your choices and ideals) while also including fish and other seafood. In fact, I just recently switched over to pescatarianism for a lot of reasons, some including health and others including my own ideals regarding environmentalism and the current state of the meat market.

But how does this diet affect your teeth? Is it bad for you? The same? Is it better?

A big reason that plant-based diets are so great for your health is because of the rich nutrients you can obtain that will help ward off cancer better, help with heart disease, and improve the health of your stomach. But when you remove meat, a lot of key nutrients that help to support your teeth and bones are lost. That’s why eating fish can supplement your diet in a great way without sacrificing such key nutrients.

Basically, you can get a lot of vitamin D from fish like salmon and mackerel. Considering vitamin D is something you’ll be lacking in if you cut out all meat or even all animal byproducts, you’re going to need that fish.

Add to it that healthy fatty acids like omega 3 help to reduce the likes of gum disease and you have a recipe for some great oral health thanks to your reliance on fish in these mostly plant-based diets.

Overall, all sorts of diets work well for you and your oral health if you keep the “unhealthy” foods in moderation while also supplementing your diet with the things you need to stay healthy. It’s okay to realize that you’re missing a lot of good sources of one vitamin or mineral so long as you supplement your diet in some kind of way, be it protein shakes or vitamin pills.

The thing to remember is that no single diet is better for your health than another so long as you do the right supplementation and know what your body needs. That and a healthy amount of moderation of the foods that aren’t so great for you.