What you eat and drink can play a large role in how healthy your teeth and gums are, especially when it comes to whether you eventually develop tooth decay, which is a disease related to diet that is caused by the sugars in the food and drink being taken up by bacteria, which go on to produce acids that attack and weaken the outer layer of your tooth enamel. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases. The good news though is that it’s entirely preventable.
Foods containing sugars of any kind can be contributors to tooth decay. Therefore, it’s important to control the amount of sugar you consume, which is where reading food labels and choosing food and drinks that are low in added sugars can greatly help you keep your teeth healthy.
Here’s a few things to keep in mind to ensure your diet isn’t negatively affecting your teeth:
Drink lots of water
There’s no need to stress over the ingredient label of water – it’s calorie free! Better still, the tap water of most areas in Australia contain fluoride, which is good news as it’s one of the most beneficial and easiest ways to help prevent tooth decay. Choosing water over anything else, as well as ensuring you are regularly sipping on it throughout the day goes a long way in improving the health of your teeth – and your whole body too!
Limit snacking between meals
Saliva is a little known key factor in helping to prevent tooth decay. It provides a natural defence mechanism in the mouth – neutralising acids that are produced by bacteria. However, snacking frequently between meals means your saliva may not be getting the opportunity to work as well as it could, as your teeth aren’t getting a break from acid attacks that occur each time you have sugary food or drinks. Limit sugary treats to mealtimes rather than between meals. Your teeth will thank you.
Watch what you eat
Most of us are aware of the negative effects of sweet foods and drinks such as lollies and soft drinks that can lead to decay. However, snacking on foods with hidden sugars such as crackers, cereals, chips, biscuits and dried fruit (the mouth breaks these foods down into sugars) can also cause acid attacks that wear out the enamel around your teeth. Sticky and chewy sugary foods can increase your risk of tooth decay even more, as they take longer to be cleared from the mouth.
If you can’t seem to resist the temptation of snacking, reach for something healthy like fruit, vegetables or a piece of cheese.
A word on gum
When thinking of good dietary habits that benefit your teeth – chewing sugar-free (remember – it must be sugar-free!) is probably not the first thing that came to mind. However, multiple studies have shown that 20 minutes of chewing sugar-free gum after eating can tell your mouth to produce more saliva – which helps neutralise acid attacks that ultimately lead to decay.
22 Withers Street
Sunshine VIC 3020
(03) 9364 8818