Dental caries is a very common problem of teeth, that affects a vast majority of the population. Sometimes even after brushing twice one can end up developing dental cavities and that can be really very annoying. However, a combination of good oral hygiene along with proper food habits can almost ensure total protection against cavities. Follow theses 5 simple food habits to effectively protect yourself from dental cavities.
- AVOID/REDUCE INTAKE OF THE FOLLOWING
STICKY FOODS: Food that is left stuck to the surface of tooth becomes food for the bacteria in the oral cavity, which in turn produces acid, that erodes the tooth and causes cavities. In simple terms if there is no food left sticking to tooth, then literally cavities will not form. Hence it is advisable to avoid or at least reduce the consumption of sticky foods like cookies, candies, chips, gummies, breads etc.
SWEETS AND SUGARY DRINKS: Although any food can cause cavities, the sugary ones are the most notorious. Carbonated drinks contain a lot of added sugars and are equally bad. They are easily acted upon by the bacteria thus producing acid quickly, which ends up damaging the enamel of teeth.
MILK: Milk is considered both good and bad for teeth and hence should be regulated. Milk contains calcium and minerals that help to strengthen teeth, at the same time milk is rich in sugars like lactose. Frequent intake, especially consuming milk at night can result in rapid onset of cavities.
2. EAT FIBRE RICH FOOD ON A DAILY BASIS
A diet high in fibre supports good health and lowers the risk of several diseases. Food high in fibre often requires more chewing than other foods. All of this chewing stimulates the production of saliva in the mouth, thereby also increasing its cleansing action and protects the teeth from cavities.
3. CHEW YOUR FOOD PROPERLY
Chewing is the best exercise for teeth, gums and the jaw bones. Ideally every morsel of rice should be chewed 32 times, and in all practicality, this is not possible. At least it is advisable to chew a few times before we swallow the food, and this will ensure that saliva mixes with the food, and this definitely helps in preventing cavities apart from aiding in proper digestion.
4. AVOID SNACKS IN BETWEEN MEAL
Every time we consume something, especially snacks, there will be a bout of acid formation, that can potentially attack the teeth. Hence increasing the frequency of food/snack consumption means you are letting your teeth to be attacked by acids more frequently and for a longer duration, which can result in more cavity formation.
5. AVOID EATING LATE IN THE EVENING
As a thumb rule try to avoid all cariogenic (cavity causing) foods late in the evening, and there is a strong reason to it. Saliva is our natural defence against cavity formation. In general, salivary flow tends to reduce late in the evening and at night it is almost NIL. Due to this reduced natural defence, it is strongly advisable to cut down or avoid sticky foods, sweets and other cavity causing substances late in the evening and at night.
We the team of dentists at DT Smile Care in Chennai, strongly recommend that one follows the above simple food habits along with proper hygiene measures to effectively avoid/prevent dental cavity formation.
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