Diet is one of the most important factors for the development and maintenance of life in all living organisms.
Diverse nutrition rich in vitamins and minerals has a positive effect on growth, development, and the maintenance of organism functions. Accordingly, improper and insufficient diet has a very negative effect on overall organism health and can be the cause of various diseases. We can safely say that certain food items feed cavities on teeth and should be avoided!
The oral cavity and teeth have a very important role in preparing food for further use and digestion.
The type of food, the method of food preparation, as well as dietary habits can be the cause of numerous diseases and malformations of the mouth and teeth. On the other hand, the reduction or loss of tooth function leads to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Diseased teeth can act as a focal source and cause disruption in the digestive tract, heart, eye, kidney, and joint function.
Today it is known how malnutrition negatively affects health, and the connection between sugar consumption and cavity development has been modified thanks to education about proper oral hygiene maintenance.
On the other hand, there has been an increased incidence of dental erosion, primarily due to poor dietary habits.
It is certainly indisputable that dietary habits, oral hygiene, and lifestyle determine oral health and regulate the onset and development of dental cavities and dental erosion.
Because of all this, it is necessary to visit a dentist regularly, but also to provide the patient with all information about the importance of maintaining oral hygiene.
Diet and Cavities
It is a well-known fact that sugars are an etiological factor for the development of dental cavities. Conducted research has contributed to a better definition of the role of sugar in this process.
Sugars by themselves do not have a negative effect on teeth, but bacteria in dental plaque produce organic acids as a product of sugar fermentation. The resulting acids lower the pH value and lead to a disruption of the oral cavity balance, as well as to demineralization of hard tooth tissue. In the initial stages of the harmful effects of these acids, tooth tissue demineralization is reflected in changes in pore sizes, but without deeper damage. Lesion formation occurs if the balance between demineralization and remineralization is disrupted in the direction of further mineral loss from the tooth and if this imbalance persists. Saliva plays an important role in restoring this balance because it has the role of pH regulator, the so-called buffering function.
The properties of food that are taken into account when assessing their cariogenicity (ability to cause cavities) are the form, composition of food, the potential to stimulate saliva secretion, as well as the combination consumed, the duration of retention in the oral cavity, and the frequency of consumption.
Carbonated beverages, for example, have low cariogenicity because they remain on the teeth for a short time, but if the frequency of consumption of these beverages increases, the cariogenic potential increases significantly.
On the other hand, hard candies and lollipops stay in the mouth longer during consumption, and therefore have greater cariogenic potential. If their quantity and frequency of consumption during the day increases, there is a significant prolongation of the demineralization phase and cavity formation.
Some authors hold the view that cavity development can be prevented without reducing sugar intake, if special care is taken to maintain oral hygiene and a sufficient amount of fluoride is consumed. Of course, we must not forget that excessive sugar intake is a risk factor for many systemic diseases such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes mellitus, and obesity.
Children and the elderly are two population groups that are particularly at risk when it comes to cavity susceptibility. Food consumption and oral hygiene in both cases largely depend on parents or family members who care for the health and nutrition of these populations. Thus, both groups show a high prevalence of cavity development. In them, cavities have similar etiology, prevalence, and similar preventive and therapeutic strategies are used.
Cavity treatment is financially much more demanding than investing in its prevention, so prevention and education about the importance of maintaining proper oral hygiene and developing healthy dietary habits should be implemented from childhood.
Diet and Dental Erosion
Tooth wear is a cumulative and continuous process and can lead to significant loss of tooth substance. Tooth wear, as well as dental erosion are not new phenomena, but they have certainly gained in importance since the tendency to develop cavities has decreased in certain populations due to increased education about maintaining oral hygiene.
The most important thing is for the dentist to discover the cause of tooth enamel melting, i.e., erosion, so that appropriate measures can be applied to prevent further progression of erosion.
The main causes of dental erosion are acids of internal origin (stomach acids in gastritis, bulimia) and external origin (diet). The erosive potential of food is determined not only by its pH value (acidity), but also by temperature (warm beverages are more erosive) and the duration of retention in the mouth. The greatest causes are carbonated beverages, energy drinks, fresh juices, citrus fruits, and preserved foods.
Foods That Protect Against Cavities
When it comes to preserving oral health, undoubtedly in addition to oral hygiene, it is necessary to pay attention to the foods we consume.
Teeth need a daily dose of different vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the regeneration and preservation of hard tooth tissue.
If you consume enough nutritious micronutrients, your teeth will naturally regenerate and be strong and healthy, but if the intake of these nutrients is absent, bacteria and acids in the oral cavity will prevent this natural process, which further leads to tooth decay.
For teeth to be healthy, it is necessary to consume plenty of fat-soluble vitamins, which include vitamins A, D, K2, and E.
Vitamin A is found in fish, milk, and eggs. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, mushrooms, and full-fat dairy products.
An excellent source of vitamin K2 is soft cheeses, eggs, butter, and liver, while vitamin E is found in spinach, nuts, and broccoli.
For healthy teeth, the consumption of firm foods is recommended, which affect the jaw muscles and induce chewing and saliva secretion, which protects teeth and reduces acidity in the oral cavity. An excellent example of such food is celery, which in addition to requiring additional chewing, also massages the gums and cleans the space between teeth.
Recommended as protective food (anticariogenic) are peanuts, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, aged cheeses, sour milk, kefir, raw vegetables, coconut oil, green and black tea.
Foods to Avoid for Oral Health Preservation
By avoiding certain foods and changing dietary habits, it is possible to greatly contribute to tooth and oral cavity health.
Lollipops, Hard Candies, and Teeth
Although loved by many children and appearing attractive and harmless, lollipops are a great enemy of teeth.
In addition to containing a large amount of sugar, due to their hardness they can often cause tooth breakage or chipping. Hard candies have an identical effect and remain in the mouth for a relatively long time, so they have high cariogenic potential.
Snacks, Sweets, and Teeth
This group of foods due to their sticky composition has a great tendency to remain in tooth cavities, so after half an hour from consuming these foods, detailed tooth cleaning with a toothbrush and dental floss is recommended.
Coffee, Tea, and Teeth
Consuming these beverages in limited quantities and without additions is not harmful, but excessive consumption leads to reduced saliva secretion and tooth discoloration. Therefore, it is recommended to consume these beverages in moderate amounts with a glass of water.
Alcohol and Teeth
It is known that alcohol causes cell dehydration, and therefore the general condition of the organism, so as a result, dry mouth occurs which is an ideal prerequisite for cavity formation.
In addition, alcohol is one of the risk factors for oral cancer development.
Carbonated Beverages and Teeth
Carbonated beverages have absolutely no beneficial effects on our health. They are full of sugar, and when they reach the oral cavity, bacteria use these sugars for their own metabolism, and in these processes acids are produced that destroy tooth enamel. Among the components of carbonated beverages are phosphoric and citric acids which are significant causes of tooth erosion. It is recommended that when consuming these beverages, you use a straw, that the beverage be cold, that it be consumed quickly without swishing in the mouth, and that you do not brush your teeth for at least half an hour after consumption. The advice is to rinse your mouth only with water.
Preserving Oral Health
Oral health is part of overall health, and for that reason there should be close cooperation between the general practitioner and the dentist. Diet plays a very important role in the prevention of oral diseases. It is necessary for dentists to explain to patients the harm of consuming certain foods, and that the method and frequency of consumption of these foods can significantly affect the health of teeth and oral cavity.
Properly formed dietary habits are of great importance and it is necessary to work on them from early childhood, because later these habits are difficult to change.
If we consider that the treatment of resulting tooth diseases requires large financial expenditures, the goal of our dental office DentalVortex is prevention and patient education about the importance of proper diet and oral hygiene.