The eat-all-you-want guide to oral health


to keep enjoying food all your life, you must care for your teeth seriously. Brushing twice a day is where it starts but there is more you need to do. Dr Ashok Dhoble, hon. Secretary General, Indian Dental Association gives this short guide to help you enjoy all your favorite sweets without worrying about cavities.

Identify danger foods

Foods high in carbohydrates, sugars and starches greatly contribute to the production of plaque acids that attack tooth enamel. Eventually, these acids can cause tooth enamel to break down, forming a cavity.

So when you want to indulge...

• Eat them with your meal and not in between. Most meals already contain acid-producing ingredients, so the less you expose your teeth to these ingredients, the better.

• Some foods attach more easily to your teeth and produce more plaque. While saliva production rises during meals and helps in ‘rinsing’ your mouth, brushing after meals or even rinsing helps.

• Any food containing fermentable carbohydrates leads to tooth decay. Meaning, along with sweets and confectionery, pasta, rice, potato crisps, fruits, and even bread can cause demineralisation. A study on the acid-producing potential of various starchy foods found that they produced the same amount of acid as a 10 per cent sucrose solution.

• Foods that adhere to the teeth increase the risk of tooth decay. Chips and biscuits stick to teeth for longer periods than caramels and jelly beans. This is because the latter contain soluble sugars that are washed away more quickly by saliva.

Frequency of eating

Each time we nibble on a food or sip a drink containing carbohydrates, any decay-causing bacteria present on the teeth start to produce acid and demineralisation commences. This continues for 20 to 30 minutes after eating or drinking, longer if food debris remains in the mouth.

If food or drink is taken too frequently the tooth enamel does not have a chance to re-mineralise completely and decay can happen. This is why nibbling or sipping continuously throughout the day should be discouraged.

Protective foods

• Some foods help protect against tooth decay. For example hard cheese increases the flow of saliva. Cheese also contains calcium, phosphate and casein, a milk protein, which protects against demineralisation.

• Finishing a meal with a piece of cheese helps counteract acids produced from carbohydrate foods eaten at the same meal.

Food and bad breath

It’s common knowledge that if you have bad breath, you should eat right (getting a balanced diet of protein, carbs, lots of fruits and veggies and plenty of fluids) and brushing and flossing after every meal.

But some foods can actually help promote oral hygiene more than others.

These include:

• Halitosis-fighting herbs like coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom.

• Chew on fresh herbs or make tonics by steeping them in hot water (as a tea). These herbs make an excellent digestive as well.

• A serving of yogurt each day will reduce the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in your mouth. It also cuts back on bacteria in the mouth.

• Crunchy types. Apples, carrots, celery—basically any fiber-rich fruit or vegetable is your friend.

• Eating foods that increase saliva production keep the mouth moist — and rinsed out. Also, many carbs and proteins can get stuck in your teeth—even healthy foods like whole grain cereal

• High C’s. Eating berries, citrus fruits, melons and other vitamin C-rich foods prevent bacteria growth.