Tooth Decay Diet

The teeth are hard structures present in the mouth which are designed to chew food. The human digestive system is designed to process food that has been chewed in such a way that it is easy to transport it through the system. Chewing also allows saliva to be mixed with the food, a process that marks the beginning of the food being broken down for absorption. Human teeth are designed to handle soft and moderately hard food. Raw meats beyond a certain thickness and toughness cannot be eaten.

The teeth themselves are white in color.

Each tooth is made up of a thick hard layer of enamel that gives it its rigidity and, therefore, ability to deal with the pressure exerted on the teeth by the jaw muscles. When this pressure is sufficient, food will get torn into pieces. Chewing is a repetitive process that must be performed dozens of times for each bite of food. The inner layer of the tooth has some nerve endings present in it. Each tooth is anchored to the gums in such a way that it is difficult to dislodge. Children have teeth that are not permanent, as they will fall off over a time and be replaced by permanent teeth. This is a normal process that happens with every individual.

Tooth decay is a problem faced by many people across the world. There are always bacteria present in the mouth when food items get lodged there. These food items may attract more bacteria and may also allow bacteria to flourish. Over time, this leads to the enamel of the teeth getting eaten away. This process takes a long time to occur. It is for this reason that any dentist would recommend that an individual brush his or her teeth twice a day. During the period in between brushing, the individual must wash the mouth with water as well. Ideally, this should be done after every meal and after consuming drinks including soft drinks or drinks with liquor in them. Oral hygiene is a factor that is of prime importance when one wishes to avoid tooth decay.

One can also follow a tooth decay diet for prevention to ensure that decay does not happen in the first place. A tooth decay diet for prevention includes foods that are healthy for the teeth and excludes foods that are unhealthy. Interestingly, there are some foods that are good for the body but may be bad for the teeth. Balancing one’s diet therefore becomes a little more complicated as one needs to choose between foods that are good for the body and foods that do not cause damage to the teeth.

Generally speaking tooth decay foods to avoid include most carbohydrates. This specifically applies to carbohydrates that tend to get metabolized faster than normal. Bananas and certain types of breads fall into this category. Naturally it is fair to assume that artificially sweetened substances tend to be bad for the teeth. A tooth decay diet for prevention should therefore avoid such food items in large quantities. It is also important to note that oral hygiene steps can go a long way in providing a remedy for tooth decay. When one consumes foods that are known to be unhealthy for the teeth, one can take steps to reverse the effects of such foods. These steps can include washing and brushing immediately after one has consumed such foods. In many cases, light washing does not help completely which is why an individual should focus on a heavy wash so that he or she can clean the mouth properly. One of the prime culprits when it comes to the decay of teeth is food that gets lodged in the gums or in between teeth. This sort of food tends to ferment and attract bacteria. As bacteria get attracted to the teeth, they will definitely suffer from some amount of decay.

One generally safe assumption to make is based on the quality of an individual’s breath. One can safely assume that a person with a bad or foul breath will suffer from some form of tooth decay. This is because the bad breath is a result of some sort of fermentation that has taken place in the oral cavity. In some cases, this assumption does not hold true because of the possibility of a digestive issue causing bad breath. When an individual suffers from poor digestion, there may be some bad breath associated with this. Even at this time, it is important to ensure that one maintains good oral hygiene while undergoing treatment for the digestive problem. An individual who suffers from bad breath because of this problem will be prone to tooth issues, although he or she will not suffer as badly as one who has food lodged in his or her mouth

Submitted on January 16, 2014