Should vegetarians be concerned about oral health?

Oral health affects all people to one degree or another, but vegetarians are at a higher risk of tooth decay than their omnivorous counterparts. Numerous long-term studies have indicated that the higher sugar and grain contents found in the diets of vegetarians make them more susceptible to tooth decay. This is because the body often signals the teeth to begin shedding minerals especially in the enamel. Once you lose the enamel in your teeth, you are well on the way to rapid tooth decay. Vegetarians should pay critical attention to how much fruit and grain they consume on a daily basis.

Have you ever noticed that your teeth become sensitive when you eat a lot of sugary snacks? This happens every time your body ingests a lot of sugar. You can still eat sugar in moderation if your diet includes plenty of soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin K2. It just so happens that vegetarians often lack vitamin D because they aren’t eating the foods that contain rich amounts of it. Vitamin A is another vitamin that vegetarians need to get more of in their daily diets. These are good not just for your teeth, but for the overall health of the entire body.

Vegetarian diets are always perceived among popular opinion as being healthier than traditional diets that include meat. This definitely is a myth when it comes to the immune system. The reality is that tooth decay points to a weaker immune system than what you would find in people with good oral health. That’s why vegetarians need to keep oral health in mind as they go about their daily lives. This doesn’t mean that they have to eat meat, but they may have to bend the rules of their diet to achieve maximum oral health.

Vegetarians should ask their dentists about certain vitamins they can take and extra measures they can take to achieve the best oral health. Most dentists will know how to help if they can assess your diet, oral hygiene practices, and maybe even your family history. It may be wise to take extra care of your teeth if you are eating a vegetarian diet now or if you plan to make a switch in the near future. It will be easier than you think to make the right adjustments. You don’t have to abandon your lifestyle to have good oral health, but you do need to be aware of oral health.

A Family Dental Care Center

2030 W. Main St.

Jeffersonville, PA 19403

Worst Beverages for Your Teeth

Everyone is wary of the kind of tooth damage that is immediately evident. People whose teeth are chipped or cracked usually seek immediate care from a dentist. However, most people do not realize that no matter how well they take care of their teeth, minor damage and weaknesses will gradually accumulate. No one notices their teeth yellowing from day to day, but it is obvious in photos spanning several years that changes have taken place. One way to keep one’s teeth white and strong is to eliminate beverages that weaken or stain tooth enamel.

Coffee is the biggest offender when it comes to staining teeth. Most adults consume coffee on a fairly regular basis, with many of them drinking at least one full cup every single morning. Giving up caffeine cold turkey is not something that is possible for a lot of people. To mitigate the damage, one could start drinking her coffee through a straw. As silly as this would look, drinking through a straw would send the coffee straight to the back of her mouth, preventing her teeth from being constantly exposed to it. Adding a little bit of milk or cream to plain black coffee would be helpful as well. The calcium in milk fortifies the teeth, and dairy in general acts as a buffer against acidic substances.

Coffee drinkers should consider replacing one of their daily cups of coffee with a cup of white or green tea. Tea has a decent amount of caffeine and freshens the whole mouth. Black tea stains teeth, though not as badly as coffee does, so it is not a good substitute for coffee.

Orange juice is extremely acidic. It slowly dissolves the top layers of tooth enamel, wearing away the shiny top layers. The rough, underlying layers of the teeth are especially susceptible to staining. All citrus fruits have this effect on teeth. If one must drink fruit juice in the morning, she should not brush her teeth immediately after breakfast. Brushing right after the teeth have been weakened by fruit acid sweeps away more enamel.

Soda is another acidic beverage that settles into the teeth and damages the enamel. The chemicals that create carbonation cause this damage. The dark coloring in colas stains teeth very easily. Women who drink diet colas regularly are at risk for both weakened enamel and dark surface stains.

White wine is a surprising source of tooth damage. Like other acidic beverages, it softens and erodes enamel. Red wine does not cause this kind of damage, so wine drinkers could make the switch without too much trouble.

Anyone who is worried about tooth damage should visit a dentist. Whitening treatments could easily remove stains, and teeth could be strengthened with fluoride. While lost enamel cannot be replaced, there are ways to repair existing damage and prevent more damage from occurring in the future.

A Family Dental Care Center

2030 West Main St.

Jeffersonville, PA 19403