Did You Know That Your Food Choices Can Affect Your Oral Health?

The truth is, oral health and overall health go hand in hand. It’s like the old saying goes “you are what you eat.” It’s important to make intelligent food choices to be sure that you overall health is in check and also to maintain good oral health.

Dentists today are alarmed at the amount of sugar-filled sodas, sweet fruit drinks and non-nutritional snacks that are being consumed by their patients today. This is not something that was seen 20 years ago; which is why several organizations have been established to keep children and teens away from these harmful foods. Having unhealthy food patterns increases your chances of developing tooth decay. This is harmful for anyone, and is especially bad for our younger patients.

Further, if your diet is lacking certain nutrients, it becomes more difficult for your mouth to resist infection. This could contribute to the development of periodontal (gum) disease, which is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Please note that even though poor nutrition may not cause tooth loss directly, it is more severe and progresses faster in patients with poor diets.

A poor diet lacking essential minerals and nutrients can also cause accelerated tooth erosion, wear and discoloration.

In order to maintain a healthy diet, remember to eat foods from each of the five food groups and limit your sugar intake. Your meal plate should always look as colorful as possible, and your starches (breads, rice, pastas, etc.) should be a smaller portion; and vegetables should take up a larger portion of your plate.

If you would like to know more information about diet and oral health, please do not hesitate to contact our dentist, Dr. Vasag Bouzoghlanian, at Prestige Dental in Pasadena. It’s our priority to keep your teeth healthy!