Dr. Dhivya Shree

Ever wondered what is the best diet to prevent cavities and avoid all that pain at the dentist?

While food is something that no one can do without, there are some of us who eat to live and others who live and love to eat.

The websters dictionary defines a foodie as: a person who enjoys and cares about food very much

The entire diet and nutrition industry has been conjured around this over or under obsession of food. We have the foodies who indulge in delectable delights and then we have the diet junkies who abstain from everything.

No matter which end of the spectrum you belong to foodie or diet junkie you can't deny the importance of your teeth in enjoying your food.

The ability to eat food is something that we easily take for granted up to the point that we are unable to eat due to poor dental or general health. Loss of teeth can have far-reaching effects not only on your face but also on your general health, lifestyle, self-image and mental state.

Impact of tooth loss

    Altered taste sensation
    Inability to chew
    Reduced or increased salivation
    Compromised nutrition
    Gastric disturbances
    Nutritional deficiencies
    Accelerated aging

Can you imagine a world where you couldn't experience the pleasures of eating your favorite food? biting into delicious slices of pizza or that chunk of yummy chocolate or even a juicy piece of chicken for the meat lovers!

While everyone seems to be on a diet of some sort these days here's what we call a dental diet or a few healthy habits that can ensure you maintain your pearlies and prevent cavities and pain till you're around!

Eating for your teeth

Milk and milk products have proven to strengthen teeth, whether at developing stages of dentition or even as we go through life. Cheese, yogurt, and milk in any form are rich sources of calcium which if not included in your diet should be substituted by a calcium supplement.

Chewing healthy

Soft synthetic processed foods reduce the efficiency and health of our teeth in contrast fibrous foods like apples, carrots and celery are all supposed to stimulate gums and teeth to maintain their optimal functions of chewing, shearing, and biting.

Indulging your sweet tooth

Eat all the pastries, chocolates and candy that you want but rinse thoroughly post meals so no remnants of these get stuck in your teeth to prevent cavities. Sweet dishes are the leading cause of cavity development.

Liquid diet

Drink plenty of water to ensure that the food particles get rinsed off your teeth and the acid content in your saliva is kept diluted.

When drinking something sour like colas and lime juice make sure you have it with a straw. Acidic foods can deplete the enamel layer of your teeth causing wear and erosion leading sensitivity

While science and technology have replaced teeth with artificially fixed substitutes through implants and state of the art replacement techniques, even as experts, we recommend prevention is better than cure!

So a shout out to all you foodies, at least for the love of food make sure you look after your teeth or it can be a very bleak and hungry future out there! take precautions and prevent cavities that are so ugly and painful!