Diet and Oral Health

Tooth decay is a big part of a person’s oral health, and if you let it linger, it causes extractions, fillings and the like. Decay occurs when the sugar does react with the plaque bacteria, forming acids that will eventually destroy your enamel. After his happens a few times, this will cause a hole to form, and the cavity gets in there, causing further decay far quicker. 

So how does food play a part in this? decay is caused by sugars, all of which come in different forms, with most of the “ose” words being the source for this. fructose, glucose, and sucrose are common ones. And they are, of course, gross, damaging the teeth.

Processed foods have higher sugars in them and tend to appear higher on the ingredient list. Try to read the ingredients when you’re out shopping for food. 

When you do read, make sure you’re mindful of the different types of items that are in there. if there isn’t “added sugar” that doesn’t mean that it’s totally sugar free, just there’s no extra sugar.   They might contain carbs, so make sure you’re sure of what you’re putting in your body before you have it. 

Can drinks and foods cause erosion? 

Yes they can, especially if they’re acid.  T his dissolves the tooth enamel. Anything with a smaller pH than 5.5 may cause this. some alkalis do have a higher pH that will cancel out the different pH that the acidic foods have. 7 is the number that’s right in the middle. 

Here are some foods that are more alkali: 

• Mineral water 

• Milk 

• Cheddar cheese 

Some of the more acidic foods are: 

• Lager 

• Orange juice 

• Pickles 

• Grapefruits 

• Sodas 

• Vinegar 

• Red wine 

So if you are going to have them, you want to make sure that you balance these out. for example, you have some fruit? Eat some cheese after that. 

Some good savory snacks may be good as well, such as: 

• Raw veggies 

• Breadsticks 

• Nuts 

What about Sweets 

You need to bear in mind that there’s no set amount of what you can drink in terms of sugar, and same with eating, but it’s more based on how often you consume these. Sweets are fine but have them during meals. Don’t just walk around in between and have some cookies. 

Try to reduce the sugar foods, and consider having xylitol gum, in order to help offset the effects of tooth decay. Sugary foods and items cause a ton of different health issues, such as increasing body weight, heart disease, and other problems. 

Why this matters 

So you might wonder why your diet has such an intimate connection with oral health. Well, whenever you eat or drink something, the teeth get thrown under an attack of acid for up to an hour, because the sugar naturally reacts with the bacteria inside plaque, the sticky parts of the teeth, and creates acids that are harmful. So make sure that you have these foods and drinks during mealtimes and limit the time that the mouth gets at risk.

When you constantly consume acids, it’s harmful, and the acid will erode or dissolve the enamel, and expose your dentine under this, and make the teeth unsightly and sensitive. 

Diets rich in vitamins, minerals, and even fruits and veggies help with this.   you can prevent gum disease, which will cause you to reduce the tooth loss, and bad breath that’s there. 

So yes, keep your diet good, and keep your teeth aligned, for the best results you can get!

Keeping Salivary Glands Healthy

Saliva is a part of the normal activities that you do, and thanks to that unique composition, you were able to stimulate your taste buds, and also have a better chewing and swallowing experience, without it being dangerous. Why does it matter? What are the components, and how do they work together? Read on to find out. 

Function and Location 

In your mouth, you have six primary glands, with three on each part of the mouth that create saliva. These are known as the parotid glands, and secret saliva into the mouth, above where your upper molars are.   The submandibular glands create ducts in the jaw area between those molars that are lower, and the sublingual does empty the saliva under the tongue.  Enzymes within the saliva are what start the process of digestion prior to you even having it in your stomach. This happens during chewing, where it softens and then lubricates the food to swallow better. Saliva also helps to moisten the mouth so that you can speak better.

It also works to wash away the bad bacteria in the teeth, lowering the acidity within the mouth and helping to prevent the onset of tooth decay and also gum disease. 

The  calcium, fluoride, and phosphorus that are found within saliva also work to repair the enamel too. 

Components of Saliva 

Saliva is something that’s produced in our mouth, and we make about 600 milliliters every single day. Almost all of it is water, with less than 1% of this being calcium, sodium, potassium, immunoglobulins, proteins, magnesium, and also mucins and enzymes. They are all parts of saliva, and while only a small percentage, they are vital for sustaining the health of the mouth and body.

Below are each part: 

• Proteins: they are the second leading component, and made up to help with eliminating bacteria, and protecting the teeth. They also may help with tasting since they naturally interact with those taste receptors within the mouth.

• Enzymes: they are found within saliva and are proteins which are specifically responsible for starting various reactions within the body that aid with the digestive processes.   For instance, there are enzymes that break down the fats and starches placed in food in your mouth. 

• Mucin: this is like what you feel when you have mucus buildup when you get colds, but it also does work with digestion too. It’s a protein that’ll help with swallowing food, and also keeps the mouth nice and lubricated. 

• Electrolytes: these are the calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are used to harden and strengthen the enamel of the area, reducing cavity risk. 

Keeping the Salivary Glands healthy 

Here are the different things you need to do to keep the salivary glands nice and healthy: 

• Limit tobacco and smoking 

• Limit the intake of alcohol and avoid using recreational drugs 

• Monitor your health conditions such as diabetes 

• Let doctors know if you’ve got a medication that’ll cause dry mouth 

• Talk to the doctor about ways to prevent snoring and breathing via the mouth at night 

• Maintain proper oral hygiene in order to reduce mouth bacteria. 

• See the doctor when you see different infections 

• Make sure to stay hydrated through drinking water 

Your salivary glands are important and if they start to dry out, it can be a problem and lead to infections. Taking care of them now aids you immensely in the production of saliva, and keeping them healthy, so don’t forget to take care of them whenever you can do so for your own health.