How Good Nutrition Supports Your Teeth

Dr. Varley is as concerned with your current dental health as he is your future dental health. By taking preventive steps early, you can avoid some of the most common dental issues and problems. Eating a balanced diet is important for your overall health as well as the health of your teeth. Certain food choices greatly impact the strength, color, appearance, and health of your gums and mouth. Regardless of your age, there are foods that supply essential vitamins and minerals that contribute to the stability and chemistry of your teeth. What you are eating and how much you’re brushing greatly influences the health of your smile. Educate yourself about good nutrition for a better smile today and tomorrow!

Tooth Decay Starts with Food

Did you know that you could be causing tooth decay every time you take a bite out of food or drink something? Tooth decay starts with the foods you eat and with what you drink. Everyone needs food to survive and liquid to stay hydrated. Not only do your food and drink choices affect your health, but they also affect your teeth. The type of foods and drinks you consume also make a big difference on your tooth health. When you eat, sugars in the foods you eat mix with bacteria in your mouth. You have many types of bacteria in your mouth. Some work to digest your food when you eat. Others (in this case) pair up with sugar and work to decay your teeth.

This mixture of sugar and bacteria creates a substance called plaque—a sticky, acidic film that coats your teeth. You get this plaque throughout the day, so you must brush and floss your teeth every day. Plaque sits on your teeth and erodes away your hard tooth enamel. Even hard things can become weak over time, and this is what happens with your teeth and plaque. If plaque sits on your teeth long enough, they will become weak, allowing plaque to get inside your tooth. This inside part of your tooth (the pulp) is where your tooth nerves and blood vessels lie. This is also where tooth decay happens rapidly, which leads to cavities, root canals, tooth extractions, gum disease and more.

Foods to Avoid

Now that you know how tooth decay happens, you know you should avoid sugary foods. Of course, you can have candy and sweet treats every once in awhile. However, you should have good nutrition free from all the sugar most of the time. There are other foods that can break or crack your teeth if you’re not careful. You also have to watch out for these so you don’t damage your smile:

• Hard Candies – Candy is candy, and it’s chocked full of sugar. Chewing on hard candies can break or fracture your teeth, so avoid doing this. Mints are also too hard for chewing.
• Citrus Fruits – Citrus fruits and juices are acidic. They can cause mouth sores, irritation, and the acid erodes away your tooth enamel. Because of their acidic nature, you should wait about 30 minutes after eating or drinking citrus foods to avoid brushing away some of your enamel.
• Coffee and Tea – The tannins in these drinks stain your teeth and dry out your mouth.
• Sports Drinks – These are full of sugar that causes tooth decay. Stick to water instead.
• Carbonation – Carbonation comes from a chemical reaction with carbonic acid in your mouth. Remember, acidic things lead to tooth erosion and decay.
• Ice – Never chew on ice. Even though it’s only hardened water, it can easily break or chip a tooth or filling. Suck on ice instead or enjoy it in your drinks.
• Gummies and Caramels – Again, these are full of sugar. Any type of fruit snack, gummy, taffy, caramel or sticky food is one you should limit. These foods stick to teeth just like they would to anything else, leaving you susceptible to tooth decay.
• Hard foods – Nuts, seeds, carrots, chips and other hard foods can break your teeth. Chew them carefully or cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces.

Watch Sugars in What You Drink!

Many people drink beverages throughout the day without thinking about sugar content, calories and more. Many sodas and juices are full of added sugars that have no nutritional benefit for your body or your teeth. Most of these drinks also don’t have good nutrition. The sugar count for many beverages (at 12 oz) is extremely high:

• Sprite – 23 grams
• Coca-Cola – 39 grams
• Dr. Pepper – 40 grams
• Mountain Dew – 77 grams (in a 20 oz bottle)
• Lemonade – 34 grams

Juices have similar amounts of added sugars in them. Added sugar means that sugar has been added to the drink (or food) that wasn’t naturally there. This is usually done to make the drink sweeter, so you’ll want more. However, we know that the more sugar you eat, the more plaque your mouth makes, which leads to tooth decay.

Good Nutrition for Your Teeth

When it comes to your health, it’s worth it to practice good nutrition. Eating well can help you live longer and avoid many chronic illnesses and diseases. One of those diseases is tooth decay, which is something that you don’t want. The good news? You never have to have tooth decay with proper oral hygiene and good nutrition! Those who brush and floss regularly have significantly less tooth decay and gum disease problems, or none at all. This is why the American Dental Association recommends that you brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.

We also recommend that you come into our office at least twice a year (if not more) for your dental checkups and comprehensive examinations. All of these habits will reduce or eliminate your risk for tooth decay. If you would like to learn more about building strong teeth and having good nutrition, call Stonebrook Family Dental today at (303) 872-7907!