Good nutrition plays role in healthy teeth and gums

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Good nutrition plays role in healthy teeth and gums
August 14, 2008
Dr. Mike M. Deldar
Noblesville Daily Times

Keeping you teeth and gums beautiful, healthy and strong is about more than just brushing, flossing and avoiding sweets. Good nutrition also plays a large role in your dental health. It requires smart food choices and good timing.

A balanced diet will help to boost your bodyÌs immune system, so you will be less vulnerable to oral disease. It will also provide you with the nutrients your body needs to maintain strong teeth and healthy gums. A balanced diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, and moderate portions of protein, complex carbohydrates like whole grains and beans, low-fat dairy products and unsaturated vegetable fats. Also, eating food like nuts, cheese, onions and certain teas have been shown to actually slow down the growth of bacteria that causes tooth decay.

Eating too many sweets, foods that stick to your teeth (like potato chips and dried fruit) and foods that are slow to dissolve in your mouth (like hard candies and granola bars) encourage tooth decay. One of the main offenders when it comes to tooth decay is soda pop. Soda is one of the biggest sources of refined sugar in the American diet. In fact, a 12-ounce can of soda contain about 12 teaspoons of sugar. Soda also contains phosphoric and citric acids, which can erode the protective enamel layer of your teeth.

Recent research has found that your dental health can also be affected by how often you eat. Every time you eat a sweet or starch food, the bacteria in your mouth feast on it, and in turn, produce acids that attack your teeth for 20 minutes or more. The more frequently you eat, the more your teeth are exposed to these acids, which can eventually dissolve your tooth enamel and cause decay. One way your diet can benefit your dental health is to combine your foods into a meal. Sticky or starchy foods create less acid in your mouth when they are eaten as part of a meal because saliva production increases at mealtime. Saliva not only rinses away food particles, but it also neutralizes harmful acids and helps to remineralize your teeth, so theyÌre more resistant to acid attacks.

So to maximize your nutrition and your dental health, eat a well-balanced diet, limit sugary, starchy, and sticky foods and drinks, and avoid between-meal snacking. This along with daily brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist regularly, will help maintain your beautiful, healthy smile.