Nutrition and oral health

Nutrition and oral health are two factors that are inextricably linked, since the former is an integral part of the latter. After all, two very important ailments of the mouth, tooth decay and periodontal disease are directly affected by our diet.

Consuming processed sugar in various forms (soft drinks, ready-made juices, sugary drinks, candies and chewing gum with sugar, all kinds of sweets, etc.) several times a day, regardless of meal times, and without proper brushing of the teeth, leads to a drop in the pH of the mouth, which is also the main cause of tooth decay.

A diet poor in nutrients such as vitamins A and D, trace elements, minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, etc. it is one of the main causes of resorption of the jaw bone, and thus the teeth, as they lose their support, show mobility, inflammation and finally fall out.

Another condition, less serious than the two above, but equally unpleasant, is bad breath. Its causes are many, and poor nutrition is one of them. Foods rich in sugar, foods that combine carbohydrates and sugar (cakes, cookies, etc.) increase the proliferation of oral bacteria that cause bad breath, while on the contrary, foods such as apples, yogurt, green tea, foods rich in vitamin C , increase the secretion of saliva which is the natural cleanser of the mouth and reduce the foul-smelling secretions of bacteria.

So in order to have good oral health, in addition to the correct brushing of the teeth in the morning and at night which is necessary on a daily basis, a balanced diet rich in nutrients and limited in "bad" carbohydrates is equally important.

Alexia Voulgaropoulou, Dentist

Degree Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Multi-dentistry "MOUTH & JAW"

25^her March 17^A New Russian

57001 Thessaloniki

Contact phone: 23920 72922

Fax: 23920 72468

E-mail: info@stomagnathos.gr 

Site: www.stomagnathos.gr