I believe we are all heard throug our childhood the phrase “Do not eat a lot of sweet, you will demage your teeth!”; but nobody has ever explained to us “why” and what foods would be good to consume. The holiday season is the ideal time to “demage the teeth” because we are surrounded by the wonderful cakes and pastries that holidays bring. Why sugar is harmful, which foods we should eat to keep our teeth healthy and strong, read below!

How does eating sugar affect our teeth?

Bacteria in our mouth use sugar and as a byproduct of their metabolism create acids that dissolve protective minerals on the surface of the tooth. Over time, in excessive sugar consumption and inadequate oral hygiene, the action of the formed acids results in the final destruction of the mineral surface of the tooth and the formation of caries.

Which foods should we eat in order to preserve the health of our teeth?

The foods we should incorporate into our daily diet are not extravagant. These are the foods we mostly use in our household and are always at our sight, but we rarely remember them. Below I will list the top foods we should replace:

WATER – Water is an ideal drink and is everywhere around us, accessible to anyone and so neglected. By drinking water we wash the residue of food that interferes between our teeth and favor the formation of bacteria. Also, remove bad breath. Spicy drinks (juices, carbonated drinks …) are a bad choice because they contain hidden sugars (regardless of the sugar free label) that is deposited on our teeth and gums.

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS – Food such as milk, kephir, acidophilic milk and yogurt contain calcium that strengthens our teeth.

CHEESE – reduces acidity in the mouth and neutralizes the harmful effects of certain foods. The cheese is rich in calcium and phosphorus. It also enhances saliva activity and neutralizes acid.

GREEN TEA – “everything that is not delicious is healthy” so in this case too. In addition to being excellent for body detoxification, green tea is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants, and many other ingredients that help prevent plaque, caries and gum inflammation.

ONION – one of the most powerful foods in the fight against bacteria. It should be consumed fresh in order to get rid of excess bacteria in your mouth and preserve healthy teeth.

SOLID FOOD – has several good sides – it has good effect on the forks muscles, joints, and stimulates the addition of chewing and saliva. Slime is the natural defense mechanism of our body, it protects the teeth and reduces acidity in the mouth. By chewing the solid food we weigh the right and clean the spaces between the teeth. This category includes fruits and vegetables.

Can I still sometimes eat sweet?

Of course! All meals are allowed in the diet, but there must be a limit on consumption. There is a diet pyramid that we should adhere to, it helps to preserve our complete health, also helps us to preserve our teeth.

Eat less and more often

The tip and recommendation I would like to recall is “eat less and more often to preserve your health”. As for digestion and metabolism, very useful advice and recommendations, but as far as our teeth is concerned, the story is different. After consuming food in our mouth, we start a mini factory and there are various actions we are not aware of; from the development of bacteria, their metabolic products, the salivation, the ph reduction and ultimately the demineralization of the dental surface.

Natural defense metabolism, slime, is trying to restore normal flora and “keep control” of all the actions of the inhabitants of our mouth. The regeneration of the enamel with good oral hygiene occurs within 24 hours. If we eat more often, we constantly stimulate bacterial action and do not allow the natural time of regeneration to our teeth.

Briefly…

Prevention is the best choice for preserving oral cavity health. It is very important to prevent the onset of harmful factors that damage the health of our teeth such as caries and inflammation of the gums that seriously damage the overall health and are most often exclaimed! Health is just one, so “Better stop it than treat!”

More from Dental higyenist view – here.

Author: Iva Tomić, Dental hygienist view