The Essence of Good Oral Health

By understanding what causes tooth decay and other problems related to poor oral health, you can take appropriate preventive measures. While almost everyone now knows that sugar can increase the chances of tooth decay, research into oral hygiene reveals a much more complicated story. Good habits that play a role in oral health include the frequency between meals, the combination of various food groups, and having a consistent dental care routine.

Frequency Between Meals

By reducing time teeth are exposed to acid-causing bacteria, you can improve oral health. By allowing time between meals, you give saliva more time to cleanse the acidity, hence continuous snacking or sipping drinks can increase chances of tooth decay. Since teeth benefit from minerals, avoid brushing your teeth immediately after eating citrus fruits or other vegetables rich in minerals.

By regulating the frequency between meals, you reduce the time bacteria can ferment carbohydrates and cause acidity and you can increase the time salivary pH is renewed in the mouth.

Combining Food Groups

Teeth decay because of prolonged exposure to acid which has been produced by bacteria. When microorganisms ferment carbohydrates between teeth, acidity is formed. While saliva does decrease acidity in the mouth, regular brushing after eating "bad" foods can go a long way to improving dental health.

However, while certain foods can be bad for teeth, they can also be good for overall health. It's clear that cookies are bad both for teeth and health, but foods that are bad for teeth but good for health include juices and beverages; fruits, whether fresh, dried, or canned; all sugars, including honey and brown sugar; and carbohydrates like cookies, pastas, and bread.

Since many carbohydrates are also good for health, you don't want to cut them out altogether and just eat protein foods. So, by combining carbohydrates with neutral foods like proteins and cleansing foods like aged cheese or sugar-free gum, especially those containing xylitol, you can still enjoy dental health as well as a healthy diet.

Consistent Dental Health Routines

Besides cleaning teeth after eating sugar or carbohydrates, habits of good dental care ensure good oral hygiene. Some good habits include being careful about which teeth whiteners you use, visiting your dentist every six months, not eating after brushing teeth at bedtime, remineralising teeth with flouride mouthwash and sugar-free chewing gums, flossing once a day, and brushing teeth at least twice a day.