Good nutrition =
good oral health

By ERICA HARAY-BUTCHER

REGION ­— Everybody knows that your diet is important to your overall health, but not everyone knows just how important it is to your oral health. If your diet is not nutritionally balanced, you are more likely to get tooth decay and gum disease. Children’s developing teeth are also at risk; children with a poor diet are more likely to develop dental problems down the road.

In order to eat a nutritionally balanced diet, eat a variety of foods from each of the five major food groups: breads, cereals and other grains; fruits; vegetables; meat, poultry and fish; and milk, cheese and other dairies. Calcium and vitamin D strengthens not only your bones, but your teeth as well. Breads and cereals tend to be high in vitamin B, which encourages healthy gums. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin C, which also encourages healthy gums.

Dr. Haray of the Damascus Dental Center explains that it is also extremely important that you brush your teeth at least twice a day, and floss at least four times per week. As you eat and food passes through your mouth, it meets the germs (bacteria) that live there. These bacteria thrive on starches and sugars found in your food. If you do not clean your teeth after eating, this bacteria uses the sugars and starches to produce acids that destroy the surfaces of your teeth (enamel) eventually leading to tooth decay.

Try to eat most of your daily food intake during actual meals. More saliva is released during a meal, which helps wash foods from the mouth and helps lessen the effects of acids. Also, each time you eat food that contains sugars or starches, your teeth are attacked by acids for at least 20 minutes or more. Dr. Haray recommends limiting the snacks, and trying to brush or at least rinse your mouth with mouthwash after every meal.

Scheduling regular hygiene visits with your dentist, brushing and flossing properly and eating a healthy diet can go a long way in the prevention of many oral health problems. There is also new research, which proves some oral manifestations can lead to other unfortunate health problems. If you reed motivation, please remember prevention is not only easy, but it is affordable and painless too!

[Erica Haray-Butcher is Office Manager at Damascus Dental Center.]