There is a close relationship between diet and oral health.
Just as our general wellbeing is significantly impacted by our dietary choices, so too is our oral hygiene directly related to the food and drinks we consume.
Read on to learn more about the important relationship between nutrition and oral health.
How does nutrition affect oral health?
The relationship between oral health and nutrition is a two-way street. A ‘dialogue’ exists, where the food and drinks we consume affect the health of the mouth, and the health of the mouth affects the nutritional value of what we consume.
A good example of this can be found in the case of soft drinks. We know that consuming too many sugary, fizzy drinks can lead to cavities in the teeth and various forms of gum disease. However, a deeper problem also exists here: gum disease can prevent the body’s normal uptake of important minerals such as phosphorous, meaning that the patient also faces a nutritional deficit due to their oral health issues.
Choose foods that promote oral health
Your diet can promote good oral health in a number of different ways.
Firstly, remember that saliva fulfils a crucial role in oral health, helping to neutralise food acids and allowing tooth enamel to re-harden following eating. This is why snacking is generally not as good for oral health as eating full meals — less saliva is produced in the mouth if you only have small snacks throughout the day. Ensure that your diet contains foods that promote oral health by including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Although these foods contain sugars, they are also high in water and fibre — meaning they help to produce saliva in your mouth when they are eaten.
Secondly, ensure that you are providing good nutritional value to your mouth through the foods that you consume. Fruits and vegetables can provide both Vitamin C, which is excellent for gum health, and Vitamin A, which can promote the health of tooth enamel. Include cheese, milk, plain yoghurt, leafy greens and tofu for calcium, and eggs, fish and lean meat for phosphorous – as both minerals will help to strengthen your teeth.
Avoid foods that compromise oral health
Think of the worst foods for oral health as the ones that expose your teeth to sugar for extended periods of time. Sticky sweets and fizzy drinks are particularly bad in this regard, as they tend to leave sugary deposits on your teeth — and it is precisely these sugars that bacteria in your mouth feed off, leading to oral health issues such as tooth decay and gum disease.
However, it is also important to bear in mind that even highly nutritious food can have adverse effects on your oral health. Acidic food and drinks — such as citrus fruit, tomatoes and coffee — can wear down tooth enamel, and even healthy snacks like raisins can produce plaque if they get stuck in the teeth.
How do I judge the impact of my diet on my oral health?
Remember that every individual’s mouth is different, and that your teeth and gums are unique. This means that your mouth might require special dietary considerations to reach its optimum level of oral health.
Visit your dentist for a check-up, discuss your diet with them in detail and ask them to evaluate your oral health in light of this information. They can then provide specific feedback on the impact of your dietary choices on the condition of your teeth and gums, and provide suggestions for areas where you can make adjustments.
How can we help?
Blue Star Dental offers general dentistry treatments to adults, teenagers, and children – including professional dental examinations. As a team of expert dentists in Brisbane, our cutting-edge dental technology will help diagnose and prevent dental problems before they arise. For more information, please read more here.
Blue Star Dental is a highly reputed dental clinic, offering top-quality dental services with a team of dedicated experts focused on providing you and your family with the very best in holistic oral health care treatments. To book an appointment, please contact us here.
At Blue Star Dental, we advocate the importance of good oral hygiene habits and regular dental examinations every six months. This allows us to help resolve oral health problems before they become more complicated and negatively impact other parts of the mouth or body. For more information about our wide array of dental treatments, please consult this page.