Diet and Teeth
The connection between our dietary habits and our oral health cannot be ignored. What we eat has an effect on our teeth, a fact that all of us know. What most of us do not know is that which foods are good and which foods are bad for our teeth. Everything about our diet – from what we eat, to when we eat and how often in a day we eat, to how we chew – has a direct or indirect affect on our oral, as well as overall health.
That is what makes our diet so important for maintaining oral health.
The importance of diet
You may be brushing your teeth twice a day and even be visiting your dentist regularly. So why can’t you eat anything you like? Why should you be so careful about diet?
Your mouth is the first point of contact for everything that you eat or drink. Your teeth are exposed to different kinds of acids in the food. Every time you eat or drink something that is sweet, your teeth are exposed to certain acids that react with the plaque covering on your teeth. This in turn creates harmful bacteria in the teeth, which can damage the teeth as well as have a negative effect on your overall health.
A diet filled with sweet and acidic foods will damage the tooth enamel, which makes the teeth sensitive and ugly. When this happens, you will not be able to eat properly or chew properly. A diet filled with rich nutritious food like vegetables and fruits on the other hand can prevent dental erosion, which is loss of tooth enamel, and also keep away gum diseases, which can cause bad breath and tooth loss.
What food should you eat for healthy teeth?
Not all foods that we eat are acidic or bad for the teeth. While some foods are highly acidic and can directly affect the teeth, some are less acidic and some are not. For example, red wine, grapefruit, cola, pickles, lager etc have a pH (measure of acidity) value of less than 5, which means they can affect your teeth directly. Foods like carrots, nuts, cheese, water, milk, breadsticks etc have a pH value higher than 5, which makes them more alkaline and less acidic.
Talk to our dentists at Brisbane Smiles today to learn more about the foods that can help and foods that harm your teeth. Because healthy teeth means healthy you!
