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Health Options
WE all value our teeth and want to keep them in our mouth until we die. With the topic of water fluoridation being debated again in the state Legislature, people tend to forget there are many other things that help to prevent tooth decay. Even if the water is fluoridated, we can not ignore things like regular brushing, flossing, checkups and, of course, good eating habits. Fluoride alone
won’t save teethFrom the tooth perspective, the concept of "good eating habits" does not necessarily mean completely avoiding sugar. It has much more to do with the level of acid on the surface of teeth, the frequency of eating, the stickiness of sugar-containing foods and the amount of saliva a person produces during and after a meal.
It is now well established that acids in the mouth dissolve tooth enamel and result in the formation of cavities. Bacterial colonies, called plaque, cling to the surfaces of teeth and produce acids as a byproduct of their metabolism.
These plaque bacteria thrive on sugar. Within 5 minutes after eating food or drinks containing sugar, the acidity on the tooth surface increases to a level that can slowly dissolve tooth enamel. The concentration of acid typically stays high for 20 to 40 minutes after eating.
Consequently, if someone is frequently snacking on sugary foods and drinks, then the surfaces of their teeth will be exposed to acid for long periods of time, increasing the chances for cavities to form.
This problem is especially serious when infants are bottle fed fruit juices or water mixed with flavored gelatin. Once the baby falls asleep, saliva flow is reduced, allowing the sugars in the juice or flavored water to remain in the baby's mouth for too long. This leads to serious dental problems, sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay. If a bottle is used as a sleeping pacifier, it should contain plain water.
Sticky foods can cling to teeth for a fair amount of time after eating. One study implicated granola bars as an example of a food that stays around longer than would be beneficial for your teeth. No doubt you can think of some favorite foods where the sweet flavor lingers maybe a little too long.
Acids that erode tooth enamel can come from many other sources such as acid fruits and juices, some sodas and sports drinks, acid fruit-flavored candies and vinegar. Also, frequent vomiting can bring strong stomach acids into the mouth and cause serious dental problems over time.
Some foods do have protective properties because they stimulate saliva production, which in turn rinses the sugars away and decreases the acidity. This is why fruits are generally better than their juices for dental health. The act of chewing them stimulates saliva flow and flushes their sugars out of the mouth more quickly than with juices.
A few other things can help to reduce the capacity for plaque to form acids. Drinking a glass of water after eating can flush sugars down more quickly. Also, chewing some sugarless gum increases saliva flow and washes sugars out of the mouth to prevent another plaque bacteria orgy. Some foods, such as cheese and milk, are considered to be protective against the formation of cavities.
The best way to keep your teeth healthy is to limit the amount you feed your plaque bacteria and make sure to change their environment often by regular brushing.
Health Events
Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a food and nutrition consultant
and owner of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.
She is also responsible for the nutritional analyses
indicated by an asterisk in this section.Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a sports nutritionist in the
Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science,
University of Hawaii-Manoa.