Of course good dental health is largely due to oral hygiene habits, but diet also plays a big part. I will discuss here the role of food and our eating habits in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Past research was insufficient, in that it primarily stressed the chemistry of nutrients in causing cavities, such as the effects of the type of food eaten and the initial effects of food while still in the mouth. There are, however, humanistic, social, and environmental factors related to dental health that also need to be considered.
It is hopeful that the discussion here will give those individuals prone to cavities some sound nutritional advice. You might need to take a look at your diet and lifestyle as a whole and change some things. Food habits refers to the ways you've learned to pick and eat food. Some of these habits evolve in response to social pressures and cultural traditions. In general, they are formed early in life and are influenced by all the forces which mold an individual's personality and behavior.
If you want to make healthier dietary choices, you need to examine your current eating patterns and determine what needs to be changed. You will need to compare what you currently eat with what is recommended in the food charts. Typically, you need to eat foods from all of the main groups, which include grains, dairy, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. For the increased nutritional needs of a teenager, 3 to 4 servings of milk, 5 to 6 servings of grains, 5 to 6 servings of fruits and veggies, and 2 servings of meat are recommended.
When it comes to sweets, sucrose sugars have proven to have the most significant influence on the decalcification process, so you should try your best to stay away from sugary products like ice cream or candy. Teenagers might balk at this dietary change, but their sense of style and personal appearance can be appealed to by pointing out that this new diet will improve their complexion, build, muscle mass, and possibly even their mental abilities.
Stay away from food and beverages with added sucrose. Age is also important to consider the dental health of the person who is attaining some age by considering periodical health. This is important because over half the people suffer from gum diseases after they reach the age of forty.
When these oral problems surface, they can actually be indicators of other ailments such as diabetes. Gum problems can also be an indicator of bad health in general. Regular dental checkups and treatment can keep the very serious and as yet incurable gum disease of pyorrhea in check. For this reason, it is advised you see your dentist at least two times a year. Nutritional deficiencies and infection are many times behind pyorrhea. Bone decalcification can unfortunately cause you to lose your teeth.
The nutrient-starved gum tissue will steal minerals from the jawbone and result in the bones becoming smaller and receding and preventing the snug fit of the gums at the base of each tooth. Left unchecked, the bone structure can become so damaged that the teeth will loosen up and require removal, even thought the teeth themselves might be free from decay.
By eating a deliberately set diet, you could boost the resistance of your teeth's supportive tissues quite efficiently. Food has an indirect or systemic effect on teeth. You should eat a diet filled with plenty of red and white meats, eggs, cheese, milk, fruits containing vitamin C (such as grapefruit, broccoli, oranges, etc.), dried beans and peas and vitamin D, which the body needs to digest calcium properly.
Decay is apparently caused by sugar being broken down by bacteria produced enzymes into lactic and other acids. There will not be any decay in your teeth if these acids are counteracted by calcium-filled saliva. But, your body can contain adequate amounts of calcium, but if you do not take proper doses of vitamin D, your body will not be able to make use of that calcium.
