The enemies of a smile are enamel erosion and the proliferation of bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gingivitis. In addition to hygiene, the weapons available are food choices and some useful “tricks”.
Teeth can be attacked by “enemy” foods in two ways: with the erosion of the enamel and the proliferation of bacteria (which cause tooth decay and gingivitis).
Acidic foods
Enamel wears away
due to a diet too rich in acidic foods and drinks, rather than due to sugars or foods that are too hot or too cold. Few people know that a lemonade or a vegetable smoothie can damage your teeth, as well as citrus fruits, peppers, aubergines, pickles, carbonated drinks, energy drinks. Yet enamel erosion, less well known than caries, involves a large part of the population. A yellowing of teeth, for example, is the first indication of enamel loss, because the underlying dentin has a yellowish color. Another little-known fact is that the damage to the enamel is irreversiblefor this reason it is important to know which foods to avoid, or to adopt some precautions to consume them while reducing the risks.
Colored and dark foods
In addition to acidic foods, stains on enamel are also caused by drinks or foods a lot colored (which are also often acidic). Red wine contains tannins, which are fixed on the surface of the teeth and erode the enamel, white wine is not very colored but with a higher acid component. Beware of coffee, tea, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or other dark colored condiments and beverages. Tomatoes are also particularly acidic for the mouth and red fruits such as blueberries and raspberries stain the teeth. Some dyes contained in candies (but also in ice lollies, granitas or chewing gums) can alter the color of the glaze.
Useful “tricks”.
Those are the favorite foods fibrosis (such as celery, broccoli and leafy vegetables) which, thanks to the crunchiness and roughness of the surface, manage to clean the teeth while they are chewed (dried fruit, apples and carrots do it too) and
dairy products
, with their whitening “power”. Other tricks to minimize damage are: use a straw when drinking, or rinse your mouth with water immediately after, and — it seems counterintuitive — wait about half an hour before using the toothbrush. Brushing your teeth immediately after enjoying acidic foods or drinks is worse, in fact, because in the first few minutes after ingestion, the enamel is made “softer” and more vulnerable precisely by the presence of acids.
Against caries
While for the enamel it is the acidity or the dark-red color of the foods that should alarm us, for the general health of the teeth and gums the eyes are focused on theexcess sugar. Sugary foods — and especially those made from sucrose — are especially bad for your teeth because the bacteria that cause the
cavities and inflamed gums
they feed on sugar and can store it inside them to continue producing acid for hours even after meals. Therefore, sugary drinks, juices, energy drinks and milkshakes are banned, as well as wine and other spirits. Also beware of sugar substitutes (such as aspartame and sweeteners in general): they are not metabolized by bacteria as sugars and do not contribute to dental caries, but usually the drinks that contain them all have an acid base. Green light, on the other hand, for all the foods listed above that are also good for the enamel. Final tip: chew sugar-free xylitol-based chewing gum to “clean” your teeth and repel bacteria.
Light dinner: that’s why
Diet can also help dental health: a light mealespecially in the evening, is a garrison essential for our mouth. It’s not enough to brush your teethin fact, to face the attack of sugars the night following a hearty dinner: we brush our teeth, but the glycemic curve (which precisely measures the rise in blood sugar level, ed) does not increase immediately, but after a while, and becomes more consistent when, during the night, salivation decreases. Thus the teeth end up staying «immersed» in little saliva, rich in glucose and this favors the proliferation of bacteria.
It would be essential to favor a meal based on vegetables, fruit and protein foods at dinner (such as fish, white meats or light cheeses). And teeth shouldn’t be brushed right after dinner, but just before sleep.
March 14, 2023 (change March 14, 2023 | 09:03)
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