Question

How does diet affect oral health? Support your answer with examples.

Answer 1

Unhealthy diet and poor nutrition affect the teeth and growth of the jaws during development and later during the life-course. The most significant effect of diet is in the mouth, particularly in the development of dental caries and enamel erosion. Dental erosion is associated with dietary acids, of which a major source is soft drinks. Scientific evidence shows an association between intake of free sugars and dental caries.

Nutritional status affects teeth pre-eruptively, though this is less important than the post-eruptive local effect of diet. Undernutrition, coupled with a high intake of sugars, may exacerbate caries. Dental caries and obesity are strongly linked due to common dietary risk factors. Dental diseases and tooth loss have a considerable impact on self-esteem, ability to eat, nutrition and health both in childhood and older age. In older people, extensive tooth loss may limit intake of healthy foods, impair nutrition and increase the risk of chronic diseases.

The foods you eat and the beverages you drink can have a direct influence on the incidence and progression of tooth decay, depending upon:

· The form of the food—whether it’s liquid, solid, sticky or slow to dissolve makes a difference.

· How often you eat sugary foods and beverages and how often you eat or drink acidic foods and beverages.

· The nutritional makeup of the food.

· The combination of the foods you eat and the order in which you eat them.

· Medical conditions you may have, such as gastrointestinal reflux and eating disorders, which can increase risk of cavities and weaken teeth.

Example:

Empty calorie foods such as candy (especially hard or sticky candies like lollipops, mints, taffy and caramel), sweets like cookies, cakes and muffins, and snack foods like chips are a cause for dental concern, not only because they offer no nutritional value, but because the amount and type of sugar that they contain that can adhere to teeth. The bacteria in your mouth feed off these sugars, releasing acids, and that’s what leads to tooth decay.

Sugar-containing drinks—soda, lemonade, juice and sweetened coffee or tea (iced or hot) are particularly harmful because sipping them causes a constant sugar bath over teeth, which promotes tooth decay.

Nutritious, acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits can have acidic effects on tooth enamel, too, so eat them as part of a meal, not by themselves. Dried fruits, including raisins, are also good choices for a healthy diet, but since they are sticky and adhere to teeth, the plaque acids that they produce continue to harm teeth long after you stop eating them.