The Importance of Diet In Dental Health

One of the most important factors in our dental health, is our diet. What and when you eat and drink can make a huge difference in the health of your mouth. By maintaining a healthy diet, you can really make a difference to your smile. Here, we will cover why a healthy diet plays a role in your dental health, what foods and drinks are good or bad for your mouth, why you should limit your sugary food intake to just mealtimes and more.

The Importance of a Healthy Diet

Some foods and drinks contain more sugar than others. Whenever you ingest sugary items, they begin attacking your teeth, due to the sugar in the item reacting with the bacteria in the plaque on your teeth. This reaction produces acids, which begins damaging your teeth, destroying the enamel, which can eventually cause a cavity in your teeth. This process is called decay, and can eventually lead to needing fillings or extractions. You can help prevent the risk of tooth decay by limiting your sugar intake to only mealtimes.

Your diet can also help you with other oral problems. Gum disease is a problem that is caused due to poor dental hygiene. It occurs when plaque has built up after a long time, causing it to harden into a substance called tartar, which can’t be cleaned via normal brushing. The build-up of plaque and tartar can cause inflammation of the gums, leading to gum disease. You can help prevent gum disease with your diet. By eating items containing lots of vitamins and minerals, and things such as fruit or vegetables, you can help your body against gum disease. Without treatment, gum disease can cause bad breath, and eventually tooth loss.

If you ever do need an extraction or lose your teeth, there are treatments available that can restore your smile. Have a look at some of Midlands Smile Centres treatments, such as Dental Implants, Bridges, Crowns or Dentures.

So What Can I Eat?

It’s important to know what items can cause decay to your teeth. You should always read the label on your food and drink, so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body. All sugars can cause decay, so it’s important to choose items with a smaller amount of sugar if you are able. Another important note, is that the phrase ‘No-added sugar’ does not mean it is sugar free. For example, fruit juice with no-added sugar, will still have the sugar from the fruit.

Snacking is a habit that is easy to fall into, but it can actually be very bad for your dental health. You should try and have 3 regular meals a day, and limit your snacking in between these meals as much as possible. If you do snack between meals, try and eat food that doesn't contain sugar. Savoury snacks such as cheese, nuts and breadsticks are generally better than most other snack food, including fruit.

One of the main points to remember in regards to your dental health is to limit your sugar intake to mealtimes. This allows your body to properly combat the sugar with the saliva that is produced when you eat. Multiple sugary snacks a day reduce the effectiveness of your saliva. It’s important to realise, that sugary foods can also cause other health problems, such as heart disease and obesity.

Your fluid intake is very important for your dental health. Keeping yourself hydrated keeps saliva levels high, reducing the risk of damage to your teeth due to sugar. The best drinks for your mouth are still water and milk. Fruit juice should be limited to mealtimes, as this does contain sugar. If you are going to have fruit juice in-between meals, try diluting it with water. Fizzy drinks can cause a lot of dental problems. The sugar can cause tooth decay, and the acid in the drink can dissolve the enamel on your teeth. These risks increase if you have your fizzy drink between meals.

Other Ways to Protect Your Mouth

Brushing your teeth twice a day is by far one of the best ways to protect your mouth. However, you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least half an hour after you've eaten, otherwise you could brush away the softened enamel on your teeth. If you only have time to brush your teeth once a day, try and brush your teeth before bed. At night, your flow of saliva slows down, meaning your teeth become vulnerable. Brushing your teeth before bed protects them during the night.

After you've eaten, you could try sugar free chewing gum. This can help cancel out the acid in your mouth after eating or drinking. However, it is important to make sure you use sugar free gum, as otherwise it could cause more damage to your teeth. It’s been proven that sugar free chewing gum can help prevent tooth decay.

Keep Your Smile Bright

If you have any questions or concerns about your dental health, or you're looking to brighten your smile, please contact your local Midlands Smile Centres branch, and book a check-up.