People often ask what type of food keeps their body healthy, but many fail to notice the importance of diet and dental health. Good dental health should begin early in life and if a pattern of healthy eating is set in place, it should contribute to less oral health problems and a healthier lifestyle.
Bacteria in the mouth convert the sugars in the food and convert it into acids. These acids act on the enamel and start the decay process, so the more often you snack or eat, the more you expose your teeth to the decay cycle.
Mouth Healthy Foods and Drinks
Foods that are thought to protect the enamel by providing calcium and phosphorous for remineralization are considered to be mouth healthy foods; these include cheese, chicken or other meat, nuts and milk.
Other foods include firm or crunchy fruits like apples and pears and vegetables. These contain high water content and dilute the effects of the sugars and also stimulate the flow of saliva. Acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits should be eaten as part of a larger meal to reduce their acidic effects.
The best beverages include fluoridated water, milk and unsweetened tea. Day long sipping of sugar containing drinks should be avoided; this is especially the case in toddlers and children. Sugary drinks contribute to tooth decay as they continuously coat the tooth with sugar.
Sugar Substitutes and Sugar Free Products
Sugar substitutes namely isomalt, sorbitol, mannitol, saccharin, sucralose etc look and taste like sugar but is not digested in the same way as sugar. Sometimes sugar free products just mean that no sugar was added during processing, though this does not mean that other natural sweeteners such as honey, molasses, fructose malt, rice syrup etc may not be added. These sweeteners may contain the same number of calories and are just as harmful to our teeth so be cautious to examine the label as to what it contains.
Chewing Gum
Sugarless chewing gum is good for oral health as chewing increases salivary flow (buffers mouth acids) and also helps in dislodging food that becomes stuck to your teeth. Certain chewing gums which contain xylitol, helps reduce cavities. The disadvantages of constant chewing maybe pain or other problems regarding the jaw.
Nearly all foods (milk, bread, cereal, fruits and vegetables) contain some form of sugar and are unavoidable. They cannot be removed from your diet as they contain the nutrients that our body needs. But you can control the amount of sugar that you consume by reading food labels and choose foods that are low in added sugars. Added sugars are present in soft drinks, candy and pastries.
Eating Patterns and Food Choices
Dentists believe that children who consume too much soda are more prone to tooth decay and ailments such as diabetes and osteoporosis later in life.
People who are severely underweight or overweight, malnourished or take medications (steroids, immunosuppressants, chemotherapeutic agents) may have a poor nutritional state that may also affect their caries rate.
Elderly patients on restrictive diets due medical treatments become isolated, weak or lack appetite and may be afflicted with tooth loss, pain or temperomandibular joint disorders, all of which impairs an individual’s ability to taste, bite, chew and swallow foods.
Vegetarians and Oral Health
Deficiencies are greatest among vegetarian children and teens as they do not know much about their nutritional needs.
Some vegans can experience deficiencies in calcium, Vitamin D, B12, riboflavin or complete proteins, which puts them at a greater risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
Diets which comprise of fruits more than two thirds of their food intake may have increased susceptibility to dental erosion.
Good dental nutrition should begin early in life, and if a pattern of healthy eating is set in place, it should contribute to less oral health problems and lead to an overall healthier lifestyle.
