You might eat with your eyes first, but your teeth are the first part of your body to actually contact your food. As such, your teeth are a significant part of your digestive system, and what you eat and drink affects them as much as your physical health. Your diet can increase your risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease, or it can fortify your teeth and gums against common dental issues.
Bacteria Eat and Metabolize, Too
A healthy human mouth contains over 600 different identifiable kinds of bacteria, all of which consume and metabolize the nutrients from your food and beverages. Effective dental hygiene helps control the population of bacteria in your mouth and the substances they produce, including acids that destroy tooth enamel and toxins that irritate gum tissue. Being careful with what you feed oral bacteria, and how often you feed them, can also have a significant influence on the germs’ biological processes.
Why Sugar is Dangerous
One of the most notorious relationships between food and oral bacteria involves sugar, starches, and other carbohydrates that feed the bacteria, Streptococcus mutans. Often found clinging to your teeth in dental plaque, S. mutans converts these carbs into organic acid, which depletes your teeth of the minerals they need to maintain strong enamel. Every time you eat or snack, bacteria can produce acid and weaken your enamel, and frequent acid erosion can cause irreparable damage to your teeth’s protective layer.
Practical Substitutes
Once enamel develops holes from acid erosion, it can no longer be repaired. Until then, however, your teeth can fortify weak enamel when their mineral supplies are replenished. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day and limiting the amount of times you snack can reduce acid exposure and your risk of tooth decay. You can also help keep your tooth enamel resilient against cavity-causing bacteria by eating foods rich in calcium and phosphate (the main building blocks of tooth enamel), including;
- Fruits and green, leafy vegetables
- Milk, cheese, sugar-free yogurt, and other dairy products
- Most meats, such as beef, chicken, and turkey
- Salmon, sardines, perch, and rainbow trout
About Downey Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:
Dr. Hadis Reyhani, Dr. Ben Reyhani, and Dr. Pasha Hakimzadeh, DDS, provide a wealth of combined experience, along with innovative technology and personalized care, to help improve our patients’ dental health and function and help them enjoy smiling again. To schedule a consultation, call Downey Family Cosmetic Dentistry today at (562) 472-2433.
