15.09.2016
Author: Dentist-therapist Kuzub Yana Nikolaevna
To keep teeth healthy, both the general condition of the body, good hygiene, timely treatment, and the foods that the patient eats daily are important. Dentist-therapist at the Attribute Clinic, Yana Nikolaevna Kuzub, shares useful information about what foods and drinks are healthy, and what you should avoid to maintain a healthy smile.
WATER
Since the human body consists of more than half of water, it is logical to conclude that water is an important product for our body. Water is also good for dental health.
If you drink little water during the day (precisely water. Juices, soda, tea, coffee, soups do not count), among other negative consequences, you will experience a feeling of dry mouth. This means that not enough saliva is produced: a logical consequence of dehydration, because saliva is 98.5% water.
The composition of saliva includes mucins (no more than 0.5% of the total chemical composition of saliva). Due to them, saliva not only has viscosity and elasticity, but also prevents the formation of bacterial plaque, because blocks the proliferation of harmful microorganisms.
However, you need to know that saliva can harm your teeth if you like sweets. In this case, it will contain large amounts of glucose, as a result of which it will only harm tooth enamel.
In addition to the fact that the possibility of salivation that protects teeth depends on water, water helps to mechanically clean the oral cavity of food debris, plaque and acids harmful to tooth enamel.
The main harmful foods for teeth
Although all foods have beneficial substances and properties that can improve the overall health of the body, there is a list of foods that can harm the health and beauty of your smile. Dentists do not recommend using these dental products, especially on an ongoing basis:
- Raw and roasted sunflower seeds cause significant damage to tooth enamel during the process of cleaning the seed kernel from the shell. Systematic use can cause wear of the enamel and the appearance of microcracks - this leads to the formation of primary caries and its consequences;
- Coloring products for teeth - primarily tea and coffee. They contribute to the rapid staining of tooth enamel, which spoils the aesthetics of a smile;
- Rough abrasive foods - chips, crackers, snacks. Due to intense mechanical friction, they injure the enamel, which leads to the development of dental problems;
- Sugar and foods high in sugar - candies, chocolate, marmalade, candy bars, etc. These products slow down the absorption of calcium by the body, causing a decrease in the strength of hard tooth tissues.
Following a proper diet and regular preventive examinations at the dental clinic will improve the health and beauty of your teeth!
VEGETABLES, FRUITS, BERRIES, GREENS
Everyone knows that vegetables, unsweetened fruits and greens should be an important part of every person’s diet in order to maintain the balance of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial microelements in the body.
However, fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs are important for dental health, as they provide essential vitamins and minerals.
It is important to focus your diet on carrots as a source of keratin, pumpkin, which can restore white teeth due to the selenium it contains, and greens, especially spinach, which is rich in calcium.
Vegetables and greens enrich saliva with minerals that are beneficial to the health of tooth enamel (phosphate, fluoride, calcium).
It is important to understand that minerals are “leached” from teeth over time. Therefore, for the health of your teeth enamel, you must remember to eat fresh vegetables, herbs and unsweetened fruits.
Don't forget to take care of your gum health. Hard varieties of vegetables and fruits will help with this. Chewing solid food has a massage effect on the gums, thereby improving blood circulation in the mouth.
Greens will help take care of healthy oral microflora (parsley is especially good for this task), because contains antibacterial substances that can stop inflammatory processes, get rid of bad breath, and prevent caries.
Products good for teeth: nutritional features
Not every person knows what is good for teeth and what is harmful, so they build their own diet based on stereotypes or well-known facts. Let's look at what healthy food for teeth is and in what form it should be consumed.
First of all, the daily diet should contain a whole range of useful elements: vitamins, macro and microelements. It is very important that the diet meets the approximate daily intake of each of the following micro and macroelements:
Calcium is the main component of dental tissue
Provides strength and wear resistance of teeth. With a lack of calcium, structure destruction occurs, caries appears, and the risk of developing gum pathologies increases. The most natural calcium is found in the following foods for strengthening teeth: eggs (eggshells), milk, cottage cheese and cheese curds, hard cheese, almonds, black bread, white cabbage, raisins, legumes (beans, beans), sesame seeds.
The daily intake of calcium is 800 mg (for adults), while children and pregnant women should consume at least 1200-1600 mg per day.
Phosphorus is a binding microelement
Ensures proper distribution of calcium particles, helps strengthen dental hard tissues, including enamel. The most phosphorus is found in the following foods: potatoes, legumes, cheese, beef, poultry, fish (herring, perch, cod), eggs, buckwheat, rice.
The daily phosphorus requirement for an adult is 1500-1800 mg.
Fluoride – provides dental protection
Protects the tooth structure from external negative factors: acids and pathogenic microorganisms. It enters the body along with air, water and food. A lack of fluoride can provoke the development of a wide range of dental problems: from caries to periodontal disease.
The most fluoride is found in the following foods: walnuts, sea fish (mackerel, cod, hake, pollock), pork, buckwheat, poultry.
The daily fluoride intake for an adult is 7-10 mg.
Iron is the basis for the functioning of the hematopoietic system
Iron is an important trace element for the human hematopoietic system. It provides blood supply to gum tissue and teeth. Impaired blood supply to the gums and teeth, due to a lack of iron, leads to the rapid development of periodontal disease - an inflammatory lesion of the gums.
The most iron is found in the following foods: peas, egg yolk, spinach, walnuts, apples, beef liver, seaweed, mushrooms.
The daily iron requirement for an adult is from 10 to 18 mg.
NUTS and SEEDS
Nuts and seeds contain substances beneficial for teeth in particularly concentrated quantities, and therefore it is extremely important to eat them regularly.
It will be good if you eat not the same type of nut always, but different varieties of seeds and nuts. Introduce walnuts and pine nuts, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax into your diet. This is important because the composition of nutrients in each nut is different, and therefore the effect is different for everyone. For example, pine nuts help the development of dental bone tissue.
At the same time, remember that cracking nuts with your teeth is a procedure that is traumatic for the tooth, so it is better to avoid it. For the same reason, it is harmful to crack seeds.
How to protect enamel
It is impossible to completely eliminate “harmful” foods from the diet, and it is not always necessary. You can maintain a healthy and beautiful smile by following simple rules.
The first thing you shouldn’t forget is personal hygiene
. It is advisable to brush your teeth after every meal to remove any leftover food. And if morning and evening care procedures involve the use of toothpaste and brushes, during the day it is useful to use dental floss, mouthwash and even chewing gum (the main thing is not to chew for a long time).
Use toothpicks carefully, and only if there is no other alternative. Do not try to remove stuck pieces with a fork, fingernails or sharp objects. This cleaning method will do more harm than good.
Second, it's diet.
. An excess of citrus fruits, frequent consumption of lemonade, hard foods (crackers, dried fruits, candies, etc.), alcohol contribute to the active spread of bacteria that destroy enamel. It is not necessary to completely eliminate foods from your diet unless otherwise recommended by your doctor, but it is worth reducing the frequency and volume of consumption.
What is good for enamel? Sun and vitamin D, strawberries and cottage cheese. These components contribute to the natural restoration of enamel and strengthen it.
Third. Don't forget to seek help and advice from your dentist. The doctor will tell you how to properly care for your mouth and help you choose a restorative (not just cosmetic) toothpaste for regular use.
In addition, in the dental office you will have professional teeth cleaning (it is recommended to do it 1-2 times a year) and remineralization - the process of restoring enamel with the help of special preparations, including fluoride-containing ones.
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What foods are harmful to teeth?
SWEET DRINKS
Sweet carbonated drinks are harmful to the body, especially to the teeth.
So-called soda and juice packages contain a lot of sugar, which not only destroys enamel, being a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, but also changes the chemical composition of saliva, saturating it with glucose, which also has an additional detrimental effect on dental health.
In addition, such drinks contain additives that can disrupt metabolic processes in the body.
Since sweets are harmful to teeth, you should not get carried away even with freshly squeezed natural juices, sweet fruits and berries. The fruit acids and glucose they contain can destroy tooth enamel.
Plain water will help prevent the negative effects of natural juice: just rinse your mouth with it.
SWEETS
Sweets can not only destroy a tooth, but also interfere with its natural restoration, because... The sugar they contain interferes with the absorption of calcium.
The only permitted sweet product can be dark chocolate, but only with a very high cocoa content. This chocolate can even prevent plaque because it contains antibacterial substances.
And if you really want to, please don’t forget to use dental floss after eating and rinse your mouth with water after eating.
DRIED FRUITS
This seemingly useful product, from the point of view of dental health, has a significant drawback - the viscosity of the product structure. This causes them to stick and get stuck in your teeth. Therefore, after eating dried fruits, you should not forget to use dental floss.
CAFFEINE
Coffee and other drinks containing caffeine dehydrate the body, interfere with absorption, and lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies (including calcium). If you find it difficult to give up coffee, replace it with chicory.
Many people do not know that caffeine is found not only in coffee, but also in black and, especially, green tea. So if you like green tea (or black), try replacing it with herbal tea.
SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
And again about sugar. It is found not only in sweets and sugar. Simple sugars are part of starch, which, among other things, consists of potatoes (which is why dishes made from them are so unhealthy), and high-grade white flour.
If you find it difficult to give up flour products, switch to products that include whole grain flour.
ALCOHOL and MEDICINES
When drinking alcoholic drinks, try to dilute them with water, if possible, and then brush your teeth. In addition to the fact that alcohol contains a lot of sugar, which has a detrimental effect on enamel, it also causes dehydration, which means that the production of saliva, an important tool for protecting teeth and oral microflora, is reduced.
Just like alcohol, some medications can cause dehydration, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids while taking your medications.
Roasted nuts and seeds
Only fresh nuts and seeds, in particular, are good for the body and teeth. Fried ones, on the contrary, are harmful. And here's why: the beneficial substances contained in the fresh product are destroyed during the frying process. Moreover, harmful substances are formed in large quantities.
If you can't avoid roasted nuts or seeds, it will be less harmful to your health if you buy them fresh and only lightly roast them yourself at home.
Foods for healthy teeth: vitamins are very important
Vitamins are essential micronutrients that perform a catalytic function aimed at ensuring humoral regulation and metabolism in the body. A lack of vitamins can provoke a whole range of dental problems that can lead to disease or complete loss of teeth.
The body can obtain most vitamins after consuming the following foods:
- Vegetable oils, nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), beef liver, butter - contain a lot of vitamin E, which has an active antioxidant effect and is involved in the biosynthesis of proteins;
- Citrus fruits, greens, rose hips, black currants, peppers contain large amounts of vitamin C. It promotes collagen synthesis. Products for gums are recommended to be consumed raw, without subjecting them to prolonged heat treatment;
- Sea fish meat, beef liver, dairy products, brewer's yeast - contain vitamin D, which is responsible for metabolism and improves the absorption of calcium into dental tissue.
If you want to create the right diet to strengthen and improve the aesthetics of your teeth, consult a nutritionist or dentist. They will take into account the individual characteristics of your body and give valuable recommendations!
Sour fruits and juices
It has been scientifically proven that acidic fruits, such as pineapples, oranges (and juices from them), destroy hard tooth tissue, although for this you need to eat kilograms of them. In any case, after eating fresh and sour fruits, you should rinse your mouth to get rid of increased acidity. It is believed that drinking juices through a straw will protect your teeth, but in fact, during swallowing, when the tongue is pressed to the upper palate and the cheeks are pulled back, rinsing still occurs in the oral cavity. Don't forget this.
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Mouthwash
Mouth rinse removes accumulated food deposits. It is recommended to use it after every meal. The composition of the mouthwash is very soft, it does not injure the teeth and gums at all and serves as an excellent prevention of dental diseases. Mouthwash should be used with caution after tooth extraction, or it is better to avoid it altogether for several days.
An additional advantage of mouthwash is its ability to give fresh breath thanks to the components it contains. After using the rinse, refrain from eating and various drinks for a short time so as not to “interrupt” the therapeutic effect.
The influence of nutrition on dental health
To maintain oral health, a number of microelements are required - calcium, fluoride and phosphorus. A person gets them from food. If the diet contains few healthy and micronutrient-rich foods, the enamel weakens and is more difficult to restore.
Dental plaque is a thin, invisible film on the teeth that maintains the health and microflora of the mouth. When a person eats sugary or starchy foods, it reacts with plaque to form acids. These acids attack the enamel, destroying it.
Consuming sugar in small quantities will not lead to tooth decay or inflammatory diseases. But if harmful foods are constantly in the diet, then undesirable consequences will certainly arise, and treatment of caries cannot be avoided.
Excess sugar and lack of calcium and phosphorus leads to caries and inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.
