Thursday, 31 August 2017

Diet and Oral health

                                http://www.mathewsopenaccess.com/dentistry-articlesinpress.html



We take a good care of our teeth and gum. We brush daily, floss regularly and clean the tongue to maintain a perfect oral hygiene. From using a right toothbrush to trusting only fluoride-rich toothpaste, we leave nothing to be desired in the quest to maintaining our dental health. All this however sometimes proves insufficient and we fail to get the kind of dental health we yearn. Why so? Well, it has a lot to do with what we eat! Yes, foods have a huge role to play in the way our teeth and gums maintain their health.

Diet has a major role in our oral health. Balance in the diet apart from strengthening the hard and soft tissues in the oral cavity it also helps in maintaining the proper masticatory function. We know acidic foods are harmful; we can’t afford eating fruits rich in citric acids and we have to cut down the intake of coffee, tea etc. But the question is, what should we eat? We should eat only what dentists ask us to. We should eat what adds value to our dental health. Researches have shown that Poor oral hygiene and change of diet lead to an increase in oral plaque and gingival inflammation. The inter-individual comparison indicated a shift in bacterial composition.

The important role of sociobehavioural and environmental factors in oral health and disease has been shown in a large number of socioepidemiological surveys. In addition to poor living conditions, the major risk factors relate to unhealthy lifestyles (i.e. poor diet, nutrition and oral hygiene and use of tobacco and alcohol), and limited availability and accessibility of oral health services. This article deals with the diet and nutritional aspects of Oral health.

Eating too much of acidic foods or drinks causes a lot of damage to our teeth. This weakens the enamel and leads to tooth decay in a gradual manner. We should thus start a diet rich in minerals. Including foods rich in calcium and phosphorous which gives the teeth its share of nutrients and keeps them stronger. So, eat more of cheese, milk, yogurt egg, fish etc.

Hard and crunchy foods with water help your teeth a lot. Such foods not only help in the production of saliva in the mouth but also help cleaning the tooth in a natural manner. This is how harmful foods and bacteria are kept out of the way. So, start having a diet rich in foods such as carrots, apples, and celery Lack of vitamin D can cause a lot of health problems. In fact, this vitamin is needed to keep your teeth healthy and stronger. So, start taking this vitamin and you know that the sunlight is the biggest source of that. Eat more of fish, egg, yolks as well.

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