There Is No Health Without Oral Health
What you eat and how often you eat can affect your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth; unless removed daily, this plaque builds up. Plaque bacteria use sugar from things you eat and drink to make acid that attacks tooth enamel. This “acid attack” can last up to 20 minutes even after eating or drinking. Frequent consumption of simple carbohydrates, primarily dietary sugars, is significantly associated with increased dental caries risk. Your body is a complex machine. The foods you choose and how often you eat them can affect your general health and the health of your teeth and gums, too. You could be at risk for tooth decay if you consume too many sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, or non-nutritious snacks.
Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, but the good news is that it is entirely preventable.
Nutrition and Oral Health are closely related.
Many health conditions may increase the risk of oral diseases, and poor oral health can negatively affect many general health conditions and the management of those conditions. Most oral diseases share common risk factors with chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. These risk factors include unhealthy diets, particularly those high in added sugar and tobacco and alcohol use. Eating fewer meals or meals with lower nutritional value due to impaired oral health, increased risk of malnutrition, and lack of proper nutrients can also negatively affect the development of the oral cavity, the progression of oral diseases, and poor healing. In this way, nutrition affects oral health, and oral health affects nutrition.
Think before you eat and drink for healthy living and teeth and gums. It’s not only what you eat but when you eat that can affect your dental health. Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.
Keep these tips in mind when choosing your meals and snacks:
Drink plenty of water.
Eat a variety of foods from each of the five major food groups, including:
- whole grains
- fruits
- vegetables
- lean sources of protein such as lean beef, skinless poultry and fish; dry beans, peas, and other legumes.
- Chew sugar-free xylitol gum between meals and when you are unable to brush after a meal.
Limit the number of snacks you eat. If you snack, choose something healthy like fruit or vegetables or a piece of cheese. Foods eaten as part of a meal cause less harm to teeth than lots of snacks throughout the day because more saliva is released during a meal.
Saliva helps wash foods from the mouth and lessens the effects of acids, which can harm teeth and cause cavities.
Did you know that following teeth whitening?
Diet and whitening.
The whitening process leaves your teeth slightly more porous and temporarily affects the underlying dentin layer. As a result, new discolorations and stains can form when dyes and pigments in particular foods and beverages come into contact with those sensitive teeth. To consolidate and maintain the result of teeth whitening for a long time, you need to follow l rules regarding nutrition; this is important since it affects the condition and color of our teeth and, of course, our general well-being.
Between 24-72 hours, it is recommended to have a white diet.
The first things that come to mind are dairy products like cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Other mentions include white rice, pasta, and anything doughy without added colorants. Then, we should also add cauliflower, potatoes, apples, coconuts, white beans, cashews, sesame seeds, poultry and chicken, garlic, onions, pine nuts, bananas, mushrooms, egg whites, and pears to the list of permitted foods. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us. We are here to help you.