Oral Health and Eating Habits

Nisha Yetter

Good oral health means teeth are properly working for chewing and speech, free of decay, and no inflammation of the gums (gingiva). Tooth decay is caused when plaque come in contact with sugar in the mouth, causing acid to attack the teeth. A regular diet consisting of foods high in sugar, calories, salts, and fat heightens the chances of dental caries. “Sucrose (sugar) can supply both the substrate (building blocks) and the energy required for the creation of dental plaque.” (Karp) Oral health in relation to eating habits can be categorized into three groups under nutrition, over nutrition or the just right range.

Poor eating habits that do not include vegetables and dark leafy greens, not only cause damage to your teeth, but it can also make it more difficult for gingiva to resist disease or infection. This difficulty stems from a lack of certain nutrients. Although it is not as large of an issue in the United States as in Third-World Countries, vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin A, B, C, and others are still a recurring issue and can have major effect on oral health. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to postponement of healing in the mouth. The lack of vitamin B can cause a burning sensation in the mouth, ulcers, cracks at the corners of the mouth, fungal infection, or the breakdown of taste buds. Vitamin C deficiency may cause gingiva to bleed easily and gingivitis. While lack of calcium and Vitamin D can cause weak teeth and bone structure. 

The over consumption of drinks and foods with pronounced amount of fats, acids, sugar, and salts also causes poor oral health. These substances demineralize tooth enamel. “Poor nutrition affects the entire immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to many disorders. People with lowered immune systems have been shown to be at higher risk for periodontal disease” (Academy of General Dentistry). It is not only important to keep track of what foods are eaten but the characteristics of it too. If a food is sticky or sticks to teeth it is more likely to play a role in developing caries. This sticky food residue and the sugar and acids develops into plaque. The length of time the drink or food is chewed, sits on the teeth, how often you’re eating, or is consumed the longer a substance is in the mouth the longer the sugar and acid stays on the teeth causing demineralization. Demineralization causes tooth decay. Not only is tooth decay caused but with poor oral health it also causes periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is inflammation of the gingiva, causing pockets around the tooth and grows below the gum line.

Avoid snacking on sugary, carbs, and acidic foods and drinks throughout the day and eat only a small amount during meal times. Another very important step to keeping good oral health is to make sure to brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. It is important to make sure to include foods high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Eating and drinking items that are unrefined, whole foods, many vegetables, and leafy greens. Having a well-balanced, low sugar, and low carb eating habit is not just good for amazing overall health but oral health too.

I'm Too Old To Get Cavities!

    Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how old you are. Many people think only children get cavities but the same things that cause cavities in kids, also cause cavities in adults.
    Tooth decay and cavities occur when plaque forms on the teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky substance that contains bacteria. The food you eat provides sugar to the bacteria. The bacteria uses this sugar and produces acid. In turn, the acid will attack the teeth and eat away and the enamel to cause cavities.
    To fight cavities, you will need to thoroughly brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day. This will disrupt the plaque and bacteria formation on your teeth. You will also need to reduce the amount of sugary foods and how often you eat them. A fluoridated tooth paste will also help. If you get a lot of cavities or have recession or decalcified areas we may recommend a prescription strength fluoride to use.
    At Envision Dental, I will sometimes see a patient that has not had a cavity in many years, but now they have many. How can this happen? Sometimes, due to aging or certain medications there becomes less saliva which leads to dry mouth. Saliva helps to wash the sugar off of the teeth and neutralize the acid. Thus, no saliva and a greater chance of cavities. To make matters worse, they will sometimes suck on hard candies all day long to relieve the dry mouth. This sugar bath will quickly cause many cavities. They will need to pay special attention to oral hygiene. If they use something, such as candies, to moisten their mouths, make sure they are sugar free. Two good artificial sweeteners to use that do not promote bacteria and acids are Xylitol and Spevia.
    But some people, even if they have great oral hygiene and limit sugary foods, still get cavities. How come? Some people naturally have a highly acidic saliva. To combat this, we recommend a product such as Mi Paste. This paste neutralizes the acid and helps to recalcify the teeth. For any one getting a lot of cavities or who are prone to, Mi Paste can also help. We would be happy to answer any questions you have.
                                                                                                                  Thomas Berard DDS

Flossing Teeth: No More Excuses!

Do you floss? Or, like many people, do you always seem to find a reason not to?
A 2008 survey found that only 49% of Americans floss daily, and 10% never floss. That's most unfortunate because flossing is extremely important when it comes to preventing periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss.
"If you were stuck on a desert island and a boat could only bring one thing, you'd want it to bring floss," says Samuel B. Low, DDS, professor of periodontology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "But I'm convinced that the only time some of my patients floss is an hour before showing up in my office."

Dentist hear all sorts of excuses for not flossing, yet there are simple solutions that exist for just about all of them:

Excuse #1: Food doesn't get caught between my teeth, so I don't need to floss.

Flossing isn't so much about removing food debris as it is about removing dental plaque, the complex bacterial ecosystem that forms on tooth surfaces between cleanings. Plaque is what causes tooth decay, inflamed gums (gingivitis), periodontal disease, and eventually tooth loss. Flossing or using an interdental cleaner is the only effective way to remove plaque between teeth.

Excuse #2: I don't know how to floss.

Flossing isn't easy. Low calls it "the most difficult personal grooming activity there is." But practice makes perfect.

Here's how the American Dental Association describes the process:

Start with about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of it around the middle finger of one hand, the rest around the other middle finger.
Grasp the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, and use a gentle shoeshine (back and forth) motion to guide it between teeth.
When the floss reaches the gum line, form a C shape to follow the contours of the tooth.
Hold the floss firmly against the tooth, and move the floss gently up and down.
Repeat with the other tooth, and then repeat the entire process with the rest of your teeth, "unspooling" fresh sections of floss as you go along.

Don't forget to floss the backs of your last molars. "By far, most gum disease and most decay occurs in the back teeth," Low says. Be sure to ask your dentist or hygienist to demonstrate proper flossing techniques if you are still unsure.

Excuse #3: I'm not coordinated enough to floss.

Many tooth-cleaning options exist for people whose manual dexterity is compromised by poor coordination, hand pain, paralysis, and amputations - or simply by fingers that are too bigh to fit inside the mouth.

One option is to use floss holders. These disposible plastic Y-shaped devices (some equipped with a spool of floss) hold a span of floss between two prongs to allow one-handed use.
Another option is to forgo floss and clean between teeth using a disposible toothpick-like dental stimulators (Stim-U-Dents, Soft-Picks, and so on); narrow spiral brushes (interproximal brushes); or the conical rubber nips (tip stimulators) found at the end of many tooth brushes or mounted on their own handles. Waterpiks, or water flossers are also a good option.

Excuse #4: I don't have time to floss.

Effective flossing doesn't take a while - once a day for a "good three to five minutes" according to Low. But even 60 seconds of flossing is of enormous benefit. As with excercise, bathing, and other daily activities, the key is to make flossing a habit.

"If you make time for your personal hygiene, you can find time to make for flossing," says Maria Lopez Howell, DDS, a dentist in private practice in San Antonio.

She recommends keeping floss in plain view, alongside your toothbrush and toothpaste. If you're too tire to floss before bed, floss in the morning or in the afternoon. Or keep floss on hand and use it when you find the time.

Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, chairman of the department of cardiology and preventative medicine at New York University School of Dentistry in New York City, keeps a stash of dental stimulators in his car. "I use them when I'm stuck in traffic," he says.

Excuse #5: It hurts when I floss.

If flossing causes gum pain or bleeding, odds are you have gingivitis or gum disease - precisely the conditions for which flossing is beneficial.

"Flossing should not be a painful experience," Wolff says. "But stopping flossing because of bleeding (or pain) is just the opposite of what you should be doing." The good news? With daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, gum pain and bleeding should stop within a week or two. If either persists, see your dentist.

Excuse #6: My teeth are spaced too close together to floss.
If unwaxed floss doesn't work for your teeth, you might try waxed floss or floss made of super-slippery polytetrafluoroethylene.

If the spacing between your teeth varies (or if you have significant gum recession), yarn-like "superfloss" may be a good bet. It stretches thin for narrow spaces and fluffs out to clean between teeth that are more widely spaced.

If you're having trouble finding a workable floss or interdental cleaner on your own, your dentist should be able to offer guidance - and may even offer free samples.

Excuse #7: The floss keeps shredding.

In many cases, broken or fraying floss is caused by a cavity or a problem with dental work - often a broken or poorly fabricated filling or crown. Consult with you dentist.

Excuse #8: I have dental work that makes flossing impossible.

Try floss threaders. These monofilament loops make it easy to position floss around dental work.