Eating healthy is easier said than done. All the cheapest, most easily accessible foods seem to be terrible for you. Many people try to counteract years of unhealthy eating with diets that claim to work wonders for the body. Unfortunately, some of these diet trends can mean bad news for your oral health. Read on to learn about three popular diet trends that can harm your oral health and what you can do instead.
Trend #1: Juice Cleanses
Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals, making them a vital part of a well-balanced diet. For this reason, juice cleanses might seem like a healthy diet trend to follow. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Only drinking juice means you’re missing out on fiber and nutrients that your body needs to keep your hair, skin, nails, and teeth healthy. Natural fruit juice is also high in sugar and acid. This means it can damage your tooth enamel and put you at an increased risk of developing cavities.
Instead, increase your intake of raw vegetables and fresh fruits. Cucumbers, strawberries, carrots, celery, pears, apples, and kiwi are a few tooth-friendly foods that you should incorporate into your diet. If you do decide to indulge in a glass of juice, use a straw to minimize that amount of contact it has with your teeth.
Trend #2: Raw Food Diets
Also called raw foodism or rawism, following a raw food diet is the practice of eating only or mostly uncooked and unprocessed foods. Some people claim that this helps you get the nutrients you need while avoiding chemicals and preservatives. While that may be true, this diet can also do some serious damage to your teeth. Fruits are high in natural sugars, so they can cause tooth decay. Plus, seeds can easily get stuck in your teeth, which encourages bacteria growth.
Some raw foods, like almonds, pears, and spinach, can benefit your oral health. They require a lot of chewing, which stimulates saliva production. If you do decide to eat seeds, floss afterward to remove any pieces that may have gotten stuck between your pearly whites.
Trend #3: Small Meals
Many celebrities and dieticians recommend eating several small meals throughout the day. They claim that this will help keep your waistline slim, but eating this way can be bad for your oral health. When we eat, the acid levels in our mouths rise. This means that frequent snacking leaves our teeth susceptible to damage more often than usual.
This trend might be great for weight management, but it’s not worth the damage it can do to your teeth. Implement a consistent oral hygiene routine of brushing twice and flossing at least once per day. Additionally, rinse your mouth out with water after you eat to wash away food particles and balance out the acid levels in your mouth.
Eating well is a good idea, but not if it comes at the expense of your oral health. Avoid these three diets to keep your smile bright, beautiful, and bragworthy!
About the Practice
Robison Dental Group takes pride in administering the best available care to their Canton patients. If you’re considering trying out new diet trends, the talented team can let you know what impacts it may have on your oral health and offer alternatives if necessary. Are you ready to set up an appointment or do you have questions regarding the relationship between diet trends and oral health? If so, call Robison Dental Group at (734) 453-6320 or visit their website today.