Caries and Nutrition

. Therefore, it could be said that the health of our teeth also depends on what we eat.

To know more:

Dental Caries: What is it? Affected Teeth, Caries Course: Causes and Risk Factors that populate the oral cavity.

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Since the development and proliferation of these bacteria is favored by the food residues that remain in the interstices between the teeth, it is important to associate an adequate diet with proper oral hygiene.

To understand what foods are allowed and those to be consumed in moderation, it is first of all necessary to have in mind the mechanism of formation of caries: the bacteria live in colonies located on the outer wall of the teeth, forming the so-called bacterial plaque.

Like all living organisms, bacteria also need food to survive. For this reason they find fertile ground in the food residues that remain between the teeth.

In particular, the nutrients preferred by bacteria are sugars that are used and transformed into lactic acid, a waste product capable of attacking dental enamel and causing tooth decay.

Sugary foods therefore play a decisive role in the formation of tooth decay. The greater the permanence of these foods in the oral cavity, the greater the risk of developing this pathology.

which is good to respect:

Limit the consumption of sugars

The most cariogenic sugars are simple ones, such as sucrose, glucose and industrial derivatives. However, it is not enough to limit the direct intake of sugar to prevent tooth decay. Today, in fact, sucrose has become the fundamental ingredient of many foods. It is found in sodas, sweets, pastries, and even breakfast cereals. The limitation of the consumption of sweeteners is therefore a little controllable factor.

Not just sugars

While it is true that simple sugars are rapidly used by the bacterial flora, it is equally true that foods containing complex carbohydrates can be equally dangerous. According to the latest research, it seems that the residence time of the food inside the mouth is more important than the quantity of sugar contained in it.

Sugary foods can therefore be consumed with some freedom provided that they are followed by an "adequate oral cleansing. It is also very important that the diet is balanced and that it provides all the vitamins and minerals necessary to guarantee tissue health." dental (calcium, magnesium, fluorine and phosphorus in primis).

Avoid "sticky" foods

Sugary foods that tend to stick to the teeth such as caramel are very dangerous because, as we saw in the previous point, they stay longer inside the oral cavity, exposing the teeth to acid attack.

Don't suck

The bad habit of sucking candies or chocolates between meals is one of the major risk factors, both because in this way the residence times of sugars in the mouth increase, and because they are hardly followed by adequate oral hygiene.

Green light to sugar alcohols and non-cariogenic sugars

In nature there are sugars with very low or even absent cariogenic power, while others are reproduced in the laboratory by man.

Among the most common it is good to remember fructose and sugar alcohols. Among other things, the latter have a lower calorific value than sugar, and remove the danger of diabetes and overweight. They are not toxic but if consumed in excess they have a laxative effect.

Curiously, some of these sweeteners even perform a "positive action on" oral hygiene. Let's think, for example, of xylitol which with its strong antibacterial activity is able to prevent tooth decay.

Attention to your children

Until the end of adolescence people are more exposed to the risk of caries both for constitutional factors (less dental mineralization) and food (greater propensity to consume sugars).

In fact, at a young age the sensitivity towards the sweet taste is more marked, pushed and amplified by the food industry that offers very appetizing but also very sugary foods. It is estimated that by the age of 6, almost two thirds of children develop at least one caries.

The parent can try to educate the child's palate by decreasing the sugar content in homemade foods. In any case, without depriving the child too much, it is essential to impose and teach the importance of correct oral hygiene.

Accustom the palate

Sensitivity and taste preference for sweet or savory can also be educated. This process generally occurs spontaneously with advancing age. Not surprisingly, data in hand, after the age of forty the probability of developing caries decreases.

To learn more: Diet and Dental Health, soups and smoothies the stimuli on the teeth are lower than in the past. Especially in the period of growth it is therefore advisable to train chewing, both to strengthen the teeth and to improve chewing function.

Use of chewingum

While chewing gum cannot and should not replace toothbrushing and flossing, it can still be of some use in preventing cavities. Those containing protective substances such as fluorine or xylitol are preferred, obviously all those containing sugar should be avoided.

Chewing gum stimulates salivation which, as we know, contains antibacterial substances and stimulates the rebalancing of the oral pH by alkalizing it.

Summarizing the contents of this article we can conclude by stating that: "A" healthy and balanced diet combined with good oral hygiene is the best way to protect the teeth and remove the risk of cavities ".