Diet and nutrition play an important role in managing oral health. Some foods help in maintaining oral health while others result in conditions such as cavities, gum diseases and tooth erosion.
Moreover, when an individual’s oral health is compromised, it affects their chewing ability and eventually leads to reduced food intake.
“Though there are factors such as lack of oral hygiene, dry mouth and bacteria responsible for cavity formation, the main cause is sugar,” says Dr S Sathya, consultant dentist from Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. The packaging of ultra-processed foods such as chips, quick fix breakfast cereals, jams and ketchup attracts children and young adults and makes them crave more. Often, the ingredients are not only unhealthy, but the added sugar in such foods also affects the teeth.
Dr Sathya adds that frequent consumption of sticky foods such as caramel and toffee, eating sweets and chocolates at night and not brushing the teeth later can damage the enamel and cause cavities. So, people should be aware of the food they consume.
Dr Sathya mentions the following benefits and harmful effects of food on oral health.
Read more about the food route to good oral heath
Read more about tooth cavities
