How does diet affect oral health? Support your answer with examples.
The human body is normally very complicated, and the food which one eats has a massive impact on a person’s general health, including the gums and teeth. Notably, if one eats an unhealthy diet without enough nutrients, the mouth could have difficulty in resisting infection. Both children and adults should always ensure they take a balanced diet, with particular attention to phosphorous, calcium, and proper levels of fluoride.
Calcium is a mineral that is contained in numerous food products, and it is crucial in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth, amongst other benefits in the body. When one eats a diet without enough calcium, the teeth’ enamel part could fail to develop effectively. Fortunately, it is easy to find calcium supplies in the daily diet; one can find the products from cheese, milk, yogurt, and vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and Chinese cabbage. Moreover, some food products are fortified with calcium, for instance, cereals and some juices. Notably, with time the enamel starts weakening, and it can crack, which allows bacteria to enter the interior parts of the tooth, thus causing cavities, decay, and gum disease. Thus, it is advisable to consume calcium since it improves oral health through fortification against oral bacteria. The calcium in various food products acts as demineralization agents for tooth enamel, which helps repair the damage caused by bacteria.
Phosphorous is also an important aspect of an individual’s diet because it impacts oral health. Phosphorous nutrients support calcium in ensuring one has strong teeth, gums, and jaws. Despite the quantity of calcium that one takes, failure to include the right portions of phosphorous in the diet will only result in it going into waste. Moreover, failure to include phosphorous in the daily diet causes breaking or cheeping of teeth in both children and adults. There are various food products which contain phosphorous, including tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus fruit, grapes, eggs, fish, poultry, meat, almonds, soya beans, wheat germ, and cereals.
Similarly, it is important to have a diet that contains Vitamin D because it helps the body to absorb calcium. When one fails to include vitamin D in the diet, they can suffer from tooth decay, gum disease, and underdeveloped teeth. Vitamin D is mainly contained in fish, milk, and egg yolk.
Moreover, consuming food products that contain large amounts of sugar can also result in tooth decay. Thus, one should read the nutrition facts on the ingredient label of any food or beverage and always go for the option with the lowest levels. The most common products which are unhealthy because of the large amounts of sugars that one should avoid include pastries, cookies, candy, and soft drinks.
One should always consult a nutritionist to get a recommendation on the proper diet for the general well-being of the body and consider oral health.
When one’s diet does not contain some nutrients, some oral tissues could get infections, resulting in gum disease. Extreme cases of gum disease are one of the leading causes of tooth loss for adults.
Thus, when planning on a healthy diet, it is also important to consider oral health. The three most nutrients to ensure healthy teeth and avoid gum infections are calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous. Similarly, one should avoid sugary products because they can result in teeth cavity.