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You are what you eat

You are what you eat

Everything you eat and drink has a major effect on your general health as well as the health of your teeth and gums. Sugars, acids and sticky foods are directly linked to tooth decay, dental erosion and even chipped teeth! All foods pass through the mouth making it the first place on contact and then begin the journey to the stomach. Below are a few key things to remember as part of a healthy diet to protect our teeth and gums:

Make WATER a PRIORITY

Water is calorie free helps with hydration and keeps our skin and nails strong and healthy. Not only is our body made up of 70% water but is also the best beverage to drink – water is extremely good for your teeth. Most places in Australia have fluoridated water which prevents dental decay. Always opt for tap water to help remove food which may be stuck on teeth after eating. 

Limit SNACKING between meals

Every time you eat – your teeth are going through a stage known as an ‘acid attack’, soon after you finish eating our saliva buffers and re-neutralises the teeth. Frequent snacking increases the amount of acid attacks through the day. It is recommended that we have 3 main meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner with a snack in between. Sugary foods or drinks should be limited, although if you are going to indulge in something sweet, it is recommended have these at meal times to limit the amount of acid attacks in comparison to grazing through the day.

WATCH what you eat

Hidden sugars are EVERYWHERE, they exist in foods such as crackers, biscuits, cereals, chips and even dried fruit.  A fantastic FREE app known as ‘ThatSugarApp’ is a tool which allows you to scan ANY barcode on food packaging and easily converts the sugar content on the food labelling sticker into teaspoons of sugar. You will be surprised with the amount of sugar in items such as canned soup, rice crackers and even fruit juice.

Chew SUGAR-FREE GUM

Tooth decay is a diet related disease caused when the sugars in foods and drinks you eat are consumed by bacteria, these are then turned into acids which attack the outer layer of tooth enamel. Chewing sugar free gum has shown to promote saliva flow and increases the buffering capacity after eating foods and drinks. Chewing sugar-free gum immediately after eating helps give the teeth a kick start into producing saliva and protecting the teeth.

https://www.ada.org.au/Dental-Health-Week/Oral-Health-for-Busy-Lives/Diet-and-Nutrition

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