When it comes to the issue of maintaining good dental health, diet plays a very important role. If you must improve your dental health, you must as a matter of necessity take into consideration the kind of food you eat. Not all food products are healthy for the teeth. In fact, many of the easily available foods we eat are not healthy for the teeth leading to a lot of oral health problems.
So, in this article today, I will be showing you some of the common food products you should avoid or at most eat less because they are detrimental to your oral health. On the other hand, we shall also look into food substances that promote good dental health.
What is Dental Health?
Dental health does not refer only to the teeth. It encompasses the oral environment and the maxillofacial region. It can as well be referred to as oral health. The World Health Organization defines oral health as the state of the mouth, teeth and orofacial structures that enables individuals to perform essential functions such as eating, breathing and speaking, and encompasses psychological dimensions such as self-confidence, well-being and the ability to socialize and work without pain, discomfort and embarrassment.
Foods that Improve Dental Health
Some of the foods that help to promote good dental health include the following.
1. Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables are essential for maintaining good dental health. For example, carrot, apple, and leafy vegetables are rich in fibers, and help to remove dental plaque from the teeth by a mechanical action during chewing. Eliminating plaque helps to prevent dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal diseases.
Some fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that promote healthy gums and teeth. They also offer protection against oral cancers, especially where there is no use of tobacco and/or alcohol.
2. Nuts
Another way to improve your dental health is by eating nuts. Nuts stimulate saliva secretion that cleanses the mouth, and reduces the risk of developing tooth decay. They are also rich in fiber content that helps to remove plaque from the teeth. Examples of nuts important in promoting oral health are almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, peanuts, to mention but a few.
Almonds are rich in calcium, which is essential for maintaining strong teeth and bones. Walnuts contain omega 3 fatty acid, vitamin E, potassium and other nutrients that are beneficial to the teeth and gums. Walnuts have an anti-inflammatory property that can be protective against periodontal diseases. Brazil nuts have an antioxidant property that can be helpful to the gums.
3. Dairy Products
Consuming dairy products is good for oral health. They include milk, yogurt, and cheese. They contain calcium, phosphorus, casein, and vitamin D, which help to promote good dental health.
Calcium helps in the development and maintenance of the enamel. A defective enamel is unesthetic and may be at risk of developing dental caries. Phosphorus is also important in strengthening the enamel. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium, and that is why many dairy products are fortified with it.
4. Whole Grain
Consumption of whole grains is beneficial to dental health as well as the overall health. They contain vitamin B, vitamin E, iron, magnesium that help to maintain oral health.
If you want to improve your dental health, adding whole grains to your diet will be quite necessary. They help reduce the risk of developing tooth decay as they don’t make any significant contribution that can lead to tooth decay compared to free sugar.
5. Adequate Water Intake
Some may argue that water is not a class of food because it does not have any nutritional value, but the fact remains that the body needs water as much as it needs every other class of food.
Water is important for having healthy teeth and gums. It has a cleansing effect, removes food debris, bacteria, and plaque from the teeth, hence reducing plaque build up.
Staying hydrated helps in saliva production to keep your mouth moist. Bacteria activity is increased if the mouth is dry.
Drinking fluoridated water helps to keep your teeth strong against tooth decay.
Foods that Are Detrimental to Dental Health
Many of the things we consume have a negative impact on our dental health. Many of these foods are readily available, and we tend to consume them on the go. Let’s take a close look at some of these food products.
1. Sugary Foods and Beverages
A lot of processed food products we consume contain free sugars or refined sugars, that is, sugar that has been added to these food products during processing. One major downside of free sugar is that it can be digested by the bacteria in the mouth.
As a measure to improve your dental health, you must cut down on the consumption of food substances that contain refined sugar. The reason is because, after bacteria has digested the sugar remnants in your mouth, an acidic byproduct is produced that is destructive to the enamel overtime.
2. Acidic Foods and Drinks
Acidic foods and beverages can cause enamel erosion and increase the chance for tooth decay to occur. Enamel erosion refers to a gradual wearing away of the outermost (white) part of the tooth due to contact with an acidic substance. For example, citrus fruits and tomatoes are acidic despite their great nutritional values. To get the best from these nutritious foods, they should not be eaten alone but rather should be taken as a part of a meal.
Carbonated drinks are the main causes of enamel erosion. Their effect is very visible at the palatal surface of the upper jaw teeth. To reduce the risk of erosion, carbonated drinks should be taken using a straw and any temptation to swish the drink should be avoided.
It is also important to note that after eating something acidic, brushing should be delayed for at least an hour. This is to allow saliva the time to neutralize the acid and cause remineralization of the enamel to occur.
3. Hard Foods
Eating hard food substances can be detrimental to your dental health rather than improve it. It is understandable that some individuals enjoy chewing hard food like, hard candy, ice,hard fruits and vegetables, the reality, however, is that chewing hard food can as well cause teeth wear (attrition). Even worse, they can cause cracking and chipping of the enamel leading to sensitivity and/or pain.
4. Alcohol and Tobacco
Drinking alcohol poses a lot of risks to dental health, and to improve their oral health, individuals who drink a lot should reduce their alcohol intake. Alcohol dries the mouth and can lead to reduced saliva secretion. Bacteria activity is increased if there is insufficient saliva production, and this can lead to tooth decay, gum diseases, and bad breath. Alcohol consumption can also lead to tooth stains. Above all, alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for oral cancers.
Smoking and other forms of tobacco use also have negative impacts on the oral health and the general health. Smoking causes gum diseases, teeth staining and bad breath. It is also a major risk factor for oral cancers and other cancers.
Conclusion
The things we eat can either improve our dental health or affect it negatively. It is understandable that many people who have developed certain habits that are harmful to their health, especially oral health, would have done things differently if they received the right counsel or orientation. Now that you know better, it is time to start eating food substances that promote your dental health and overall health.
Work towards limiting consumption of foods that pose risks to developing oral diseases. As much as possible eat less of such food substances. Limit alcohol intake. If you smoke, work towards quitting. Speak with your doctor and get the necessary help that you need to quit smoking. There are a lot of cessation programs available like Freedom From Smoking by the American Lung Association.
It is possible to maintain good oral health but we must decide to eat right in addition to practicing good oral hygiene.
