Your Diet and Your Teeth

When you think about your diet, considering the caloric count, fat content, and carbohydrate content all pertain to your weight, right? Well, yes, they do – but they also pertain to another aspect of your health that is often overlooked: the health of your teeth. Just one moment of consideration about how everything that you eat and drink must enter your body through your mouth can give you an eye-opener to how your diet affects your teeth and your oral health.

All of the foods and beverages that you consume (with the exception of plain water) have some type of sugar in them. They also leave behind tiny particles within the mouth, many of which become stuck between the teeth and can remain there for days or even weeks.

The mouth is home to millions of bacteria that have the one job of helping to get rid of the tiny particles that are left behind after eating and drinking. While these bacteria mean to be helpful, truly they do, they will quickly move from being helpful to harmful in just a short amount of time. As the bacteria work to get rid of the particles inside your mouth, they begin produce acids to help them in their endeavors. It is these acids that cause destruction of the teeth and gums and will lead to serious oral health concerns. It is important to understand that the bacteria inside your mouth are most attracted to the sugars in the foods that you eat. Whether the sugars come from natural sources (e.g. fruit, dairy) or from artificial sources (e.g. processed foods, soft drinks), they still attract bacteria. These bacteria will congregate in huge numbers around particles with a high sugar content, thus causing a large amount of acid to be produced in one area of the mouth. These large congregations of acid-producing bacteria are what cause cavities and gum disease.

By flossing daily, you help to remove bacteria-laden plaque from the tight spaces between the teeth. By brushing at least twice a day, you are helping to remove this plaque from the surfaces of the teeth. And by maintaining a healthy diet, you are limiting the amount of sugars inside your mouth. all of these together will help you achieve and maintain optimal oral health. Contact Pristine Dental with any questions. We will be happy to help you develop a healthy diet for your body and your teeth.