| How does the food you eat cause tooth
decay?
When you eat, food passes through your
mouth. Here it meets the germs, or bacteria,
that live in your mouth. You may have
heard your dentist talk about plaque.
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria.
These bacteria love sugars
found in many foods. When you don't clean
your teeth after eating, plaque bacteria
use the sugar to produce acids
that can destroy the hard surface of
the tooth, called enamel. After a while,
tooth decay occurs. The more often you
eat and the longer foods are in your
mouth, the more damage occurs.
How do I choose foods wisely?
Some foods that you would least expect
contain sugars. Some examples
are fruits, milk, bread, cereals and
even vegetables.
The key to choosing foods wisely is not
to avoid these foods, but to think before
you eat. Not only what you eat but when
you eat makes a big difference in your
dental health. Eat a balanced diet and
limit between-meal snacks. If you are
on a special diet, keep your physician's
advice in mind when choosing foods. For
good dental health, keep these tips in
mind when choosing your meals and snacks.
What are tips for better dental health?
- To get a balanced diet, eat a variety
of foods. Choose foods from each
of the five major food groups:
- breads,
cereals and other
grain products
- fruits
- vegetables
- meat, poultry and
fish
- milk,
cheese
and
yogurt
- Limit the number of snacks that
you eat. Each time you eat food
that contains
sugars, the
teeth are attacked by acids for 20
minutes
or more.
- If you do snack, choose nutritious
foods, such as cheese,
raw vegetables, plain
yogurt, or a piece
of fruit.
- Foods that are eaten as part
of a meal cause less
harm. More saliva is released
during a meal, which
helps
wash foods from the
mouth and helps lessen the
effects of acids.
- Brush
twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
that has the American
Dental Association Seal of Acceptance.
- Clean between your teeth daily
with floss or interdental
cleaners.
- Visit your dentist regularly.
Your dentist can
help prevent problems from
occurring
and catch those that
do occur while they are easy
to treat.
Please note: The ADA does not provide specific answers
to individual questions about fees, dental problems, conditions, diagnoses,
treatments or proposed treatments, or requests for research. Information about
dental referrals, complaints and a variety of dental procedures may
be found here. You can also refer to our Frequently
Asked Questions page for answers to common questions.
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