People worry a lot about eating, so it only makes sense that dieting trends fall in and out of fashion. While many people turn to dieting to fit back into a favorite pair of pants or reach a healthier BMI, many do so without considering how the latest trend can impact their oral health. Here’s how dieting can affect your smile and a few tips from your dentist for keeping your teeth and gums healthy when you’re counting calories.
Be Your Tooth’s Friend: Skip the Juice Cleanse
A few years ago, some famous people got it into their heads that consuming a diet of nothing but juice would be a great way to shed pounds and get all of those vital vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, going on a juice cleanse can be a serious detriment to your oral health.
While the fruits and veggies that juice is derived from are rich in all sorts of crucial nutrients, the juicing process eliminates most of the fiber and other materials that keep your teeth, hair, nails, and skin looking great. Juice, especially the kinds that come from fruit, are also high in acid and sugar, meaning that they can harm your teeth through:
- Enamel erosion: Acid begins to break down your enamel as soon as it makes contact with your teeth, causing them to stain and become more vulnerable to injury and decay.
- Collagen erosion: Your teeth are fixed in place by collagen fibers, and low-calorie diets can cause problems with your body’s natural collagen. Teeth can be lost if these fibers weaken too much.
- Bacterial accumulation: Sugar provides the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease with the fuel they need to multiply rapidly and infect the teeth and soft tissues.
Raw Foods Can Lead to Dental Abuse
While fresh, crisp, and snappy fruits and veggies can do a lot to clean your teeth, consuming too many raw foods can be dangerous for your oral health. Raw food diets require a person to eat a lot of fruit, nuts, and seeds. Fruit is high in sugar, so consuming too much of it can lead to tooth decay. For their part, nuts and seeds can easily get stuck in the gums and between teeth where they can provide the food bacteria need to grow and multiply.
However, consuming raw foods like apples, almonds, and spinach in moderation can be an excellent choice for your dental health and your waistline. To help keep your teeth clean after eating nuts and seeds, enjoy some sugar-free gum to clear away food debris and encourage saliva flow.
Always consider your oral health before starting any dieting regimen. By keeping your teeth in excellent shape, you can enjoy having a beautiful smile along with your toned physique.
About the Practice
White Peak Dental delivers exceptional dental care to the community of Cottonwood Heights, UT. Led by Dr. J.D. Hansen, the staff ensures each patient receives personalized and holistic oral health services. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. For more information on keeping your teeth healthy while dieting, contact the office online or dial (801) 293-1234.