Nutrition has an important effect and role in the health of teeth, and this issue is obvious to everyone. So that healthy food can have a significant effect in reducing tooth decay and periodontal disease. Tooth decay causes tooth loss. Tooth decay depends on the foods we eat. In this article, we want to talk about the importance of nutrition on teeth.
The effect of nutrition on dental health
The foods we eat can have an important effect on the overall health of the body and especially on the health of the mouth and teeth. Therefore, if you consume very sweet drinks and foods during meals or snacks and do not use nutrients, your teeth will decay much sooner. Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases in children. When the plaque in the mouth comes into contact with sugar, it forms an acid that causes tooth decay.
Sugar in foods can cause tooth decay, so try to read the label on every food you eat to reduce sugar intake. You can also see a nutritionist to give you a proper diet to protect your teeth from decay.
The importance of nutrition for teeth and tooth decay
The plaques in the mouth and on the teeth are bacteria, and when sugar reaches them, the plaques increase, and the amount of bacteria increases. These bacteria metabolize the sugar that enters the mouth and produce acid, which causes tooth decay.
These bacteria are:
- Streptococcus mutans bacteria
- Types of Streptococcus subrinus bacteria
- Lactobacillus bacteria
Note that the saliva inside the mouth can wash away sugars and reduce the amount of tooth decay. The composition of oral saliva is such that it is produced from antibacterial substances and can deal with acid attacks, sugars, and bacteria. The drier your mouth is, the sooner your teeth will decay.
Human nutrition and tooth erosion
Tooth erosion occurs when tooth enamel is gradually lost and completely separated from the tooth surface. As mentioned above, the low amount of saliva in the mouth causes more erosion of the teeth. Acids that cause tooth decay can be both from inside the body (intrinsic acids) and can come from external foods (exogenous acids).
Intrinsic acids are like human vomits and regurgitation. But external acids come from the foods we eat. For example, citric acid and phosphoric acid, which are present in some unnatural fruit juices and soft drinks, are foreign acids.
Tooth decay and fluoride
Some of the natural human diet contains fluoride, for example, drinking water in some areas may contain fluoride. Fluorides affect teeth in three ways:
- Fluoride can repair the early stages of caries.
- Also, fluoride can affect the acid produced by bacteria and cause less decay.
- Fluoride can transform into the tooth structure and resist acid attacks.
Today, the use of fluoride has become a very effective way to prevent tooth decay. The use of fluoride will significantly reduce the decay of the mouth, but you should note that no matter how much fluoride you use, you should still pay attention to the consumption of sugar because the consumption of sugar has a significant effect on tooth decay. That a diet that has a lot of carbohydrates can cause tooth decay and also cause more damage to the body. For example, those who use food such as chips, etc., cause a lot of damage to their body and teeth.
Which foods can reduce tooth decay?
Now that you are familiar with the importance of nutrition for teeth, we must say that according to the research, consuming cheese and cow’s milk can reduce tooth decay due to the presence of calcium and phosphorus. Also, babies who are breastfed have healthier milk teeth than babies who use formula, and their teeth decay is much less.
Other foods can affect the health of teeth:
Consumption of fruits and vegetables during the day
Eating vegetables and fruits such as apples and carrots can reduce tooth decay. Don’t forget to eat an apple because eating it after meals will remove the material stuck to your teeth.
Green tea
Consuming green tea reduces gum inflammation. In other words, by consuming this substance, the oral environment becomes alkaline. Green tea can also kill bacteria in the mouth
Using foods containing calcium
Consuming foods containing calcium has a significant effect in reducing tooth decay. Try to use low-fat milk and yogurt in at least one meal.
Foods that increase tooth decay
Some foods and drinks cause more tooth decay. These foods include:
- Consuming fruit juice while sleeping
- pickles
- Use of citrus fruits
- Acidic and carbonated drinks
- Vinegar
- Use carbohydrates
Consuming carbohydrates such as raisins and cookies can cause tooth decay because these foods remain in the mouth for a long time and stick to the teeth and cause tooth decay.
Note that excessive use of these foods will cause tooth decay even in spite of observing oral and dental hygiene. Other factors have a great effect on tooth erosion. These factors are:
- Low salivation
- Using toothbrushes with a rough brush
- stomach reflex
- Frequent vomiting
- Consuming citrus fruits more than twice a day
- Consuming acidic drinks continuously and keeping them in the mouth
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