Your Diet and Your Teeth

Your mouth is the gateway for which almost everything enters into your body. Your food and beverage choices are what have a huge impact on your health and your life, yet it goes far beyond just your general health. Many people overlook the fact that their diets affect their teeth. They are concerned with the numbers on the scale, cholesterol numbers, and what their doctors tell them about their diets – yet understanding how your diet affects your teeth is a huge component to your overall health. Many diseases actually stem directly from the mouth, and even more are made worse by dietary choices. Diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, miscarriage, and preterm labor are all directly linked to the oral health, therefore, making wise dietary choices is essential for your quality of life.

Tooth decay is the single most chronic childhood disease and it affects millions of adults in the United States each year – yet it is entirely preventable. While brushing the teeth twice a day and flossing daily are essential components to maintaining good oral health, eating a healthy diet is also an essential component. There are millions of bacteria living inside your mouth on any given day. These bacteria are there to help breakdown particles left behind after eating and drinking in order to help keep the mouth clean. However, in their endeavors to clean they mouth, they begin producing acids to assist them. It is these acids that will eventually cause cavities and tooth decay if they are not flossed and brushed away on a regular basis.

The bacteria in the mouth are most attracted to the sugars in foods that you eat. This causes a large number of bacteria to congregate around sugary particles, in turn causing an abundance of acids to be directed at specific places inside the mouth. Once these acids take care of the sugary particles, they continue to breakdown anything that is in their path – which just happens to be your tooth enamel and gum tissue. By limiting the amount of sugar that you consume, you are limiting the amount of acids that are produced inside your mouth and the damage that they will create.

At Green Dental of Alexandria, we want to partner with our patients to achieve optimal oral health, and we understand the direct relationship between your diet and your overall health. We will be happy to help you create a diet plan that is healthy for your teeth and your entire body. Call us today!