Although keeping up excellent oral hygiene is important by brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing once daily, it is also crucial to pay attention to your diet! Oral health and diet are closely linked as the oral cavity is the first point of contact of food inside your body, and is essentially the “gateway” to the health of your entire body! So therefore, diet in fact plays a significant role in the formation of dental decay. In particular, the frequency and duration of intake of foods.
Below is a list of tips to reduce your risk of dental decay (in addition to oral hygiene)
- consume a balanced diet of meat and vegetables
- limit between meal snacking
- consume healthier alternatives for your teeth – fruit, uncooked veggies, savoury foods, dairy products
- rinsing with water after sweet foods
- drink through a straw and avoid sipping for long durations when consuming soft drinks
- use of artificial sweeteners over regular sugar with tea/coffee
- use of gum containing xylitol (natural sugar substitute) to increase saliva for buffering effect of acids to protect your teeth
- drink tap water containing fluoride, and use a fluoride toothpaste
- avoid putting children to sleep with a bottle of anything other than waterIf you think your diet needs to be checked or for more information please call us on (08) 8382 5777 to book an appointment for a consultation.