You are what you eat, and so are your teeth. Mineral-rich foods build strong enamel, while acidic snacks and sugary foods/beverages invite decay. Dr. Roland shares a little bit about dietary counseling in today’s blog:
How does diet impact dental health, both positively and negatively?
It impacts it by how and what you eat. For example, the squeeze pouches that all kids seem to use now is a lazy way of eating. They don’t allow you to exercise your jaw and help it grow and develop enough room for proper function. Snacks like hard vegetables and apples are examples of what they can chew and engage the jaw and surrounding muscles to properly support development.
From a nutrient standpoint, processed foods have far too many chemicals, which lack the nutrients that the body needs to grow. Inflammation in the body has greatly increased due to the processed foods, which is also a bad cycle to be in for development. This can also compromise breathing because everything is too plugged up from the inflammation.
Beverages to Limit for Oral Health
Limit beverages with significant amounts of sugar, like sodas and juices. Keep in mind that fruit has a lot of essential vitamins, but it’s also sugar. So, things like keeping the skin on keeps the fiber which will allow you to benefit from the nutrients. You need fiber for proper balance in the gut and proper absorption of the natural sugar from these types of foods. Starch and carbs are essentially also sugar, so white breads and pastas and potatoes also fall in that category.
- Avoid sugary drinks (soda, juice) that spike acidity.
- Avoid sticky starches (white bread, chips) that feed cavity bacteria.
- Avoid ultra-processed pouches for kids that deprive jaws of chewing exercise.
How does the Center for Transformative Dentistry incorporate nutritional guidance into patient care?
Patients receive personalized discussions and guidance for their individual situations and requirements. In the future, we are planning on offering guided programs for each patient, which will go past an individualized discussion and look more at consistent growth and improvement over time.
Ask us about recommendations for your situation at your next visit, or book a consult with us today!
