Bad Eating Habits That Harm Your Teeth

Dr Rashmi Kodoth, Smile care, Vashi.Strong, healthy teeth and gums directly result from proper eating habits. If you want your teeth to remain strong, it is important to make healthy and smart choices of eating habits. Healthy tooth and gums help us keep healthy overall.What are the harmful eating habits ?

• Snacking throughout the day and regular consumption of sugary acidic food or drink can cause tooth decay.
• Eating sticky sweets after dinner…..may cause increased bacterial activity during sleep.
• If you have a habit of drinking tea and coffee regularly, teeth are more prone to decay because of added sugar content.
• Sipping soda, fizzy drinks, aerated drinks-causes acid attacks on enamel.
• Repeated binge eating (consuming large amount of food very quickly), impulsive gorging, continuous eating, induced vomiting can also cause acid attacks on enamel.
• Eating disorder like anorexia and bulimia –anorexia is an eating disorder where the person has intense fear of gaining weight. People with anorexia avoid eating food and starve to lose weight.This is a serious condition that is harmful to teeth and overall health. Bulimia is another eating disorder where the person will binge on food and to avoid weight gain will involve in compensatory behavior like self induced vomiting, dieting, use of diet pills, fasting, use of laxatives. People with anorexia and bulimia will not get adequate nutrients, proteins, vitamins required for good health. This disorder causes injury to teeth, muscles, major organs and the entire body and should be treated.
• Biting on strong hard sucking sweet, bone or any solid object can damage or fracture teeth.
• Bad eating habits can cause bad breath.

To keep the teeth healthy, it is important to have well balanced diet which includes

1. Bread, cereals, other grains.
2. Fiber rich raw food, fruits, vegetables.
3. Calcium rich food like milk yogurt cheese.
4. Meat fish poultry.

Good eating habits that will keep your teeth healthy

• Rinse after every meal.
• Try not to snack between the meals and drink lots of water. Give 2-3 hours gap between meals so that acid level in mouth comes down and gives a chance for saliva to counteract effect of acid and repair enamel.
• The right diet and nutrition are very important for healthy teeth and gums.
• Eat raw food like fresh fruits and raw vegetables as snacks.
• Do not have junk food, aerated drinks. The high sugar content of junk food washes away the protective enamel layer of the teeth leading to corrosive cavities.
• Avoid sticky foods after meals.
• Do not bite on a hard solid object that damages the tooth.
• Use a new toothbrush every three months or when the bristles break or bend.
• Brush twice daily.
• Clean between teeth with floss or interdental cleaner to remove plaque once a day.
• Regular dental check up.

Smoking and your Teeth

Dr. Rachana Bhama Smile Care, Bandra Did You Know ?

• Smokers are up to six times more vulnerable to gum disease than non-smokers.
• Smoking may depress the ability of the immune system to fight infection.
• Gum disease is initiated by a buildup of bacteria in plaque, the sticky white substance that accumulates on the teeth if they are not properly cleaned. The bacteria cause the gums to become inflamed, and they begin to recede from the teeth.
• Smoking may turn teeth yellow by leaving sticky tar deposits which can also cause brown stains.
• The gum diseases are silent killers of your teeth.

Effects of Smoking :

• Oral and lung cancer
• Periodontal disease
• Bad breath
• Tooth erosion
• Poor healing
• Dry socket infections
• Hairy tongue
• Reduced taste
• Smoker’s face

If you thought that smoking’s main effect was the staining of your teeth, please read on attentively. The tobacco in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes contains over 4000 harmful chemicals. The worse outcome from smoking is cancer and although oral cancer is not as common as lung cancer, it is nevertheless very harmful. Smokers should remember that if they are lucky enough to avoid cancer, they nevertheless will suffer from many other deleterious effects of smoking. Periodontal disease (gum disease), which leads to tooth loss, is extremely common in smokers. Many treatments for this condition are unsuccessful because the poisons from the tobacco weaken the body’s immune system, thereby decreasing the healing process to the point that many surgeons will avoid extensive treatments on these individuals. Furthermore, smokers will accumulate more tartar thereby requiring more extensive cleanings, which are often painful since the exposed roots (caused by the gum disease) are sensitive.

Smokers inevitably have bad breath from the tobacco itself and secondarily from the gum disease. They often try to mask this with lozenges, mouth-washes, chewing gum, candies or breath mints. Over time this habit causes decay and\or tooth erosion.

Smokers are also poor healers, this being witnessed by the high incidence of dry-socket infections following tooth removals. Anyone who has experienced a dry- socket will understand the frustration and suffering experienced from this practically untreatable condition.

Smoker’s palate is a term used to describe the appearance of many smoker’s palate. The roof of the mouth typically looks pale and develops raised white bumps with red spots in the center. Although most cases of smoker’s palate are not serious, severe forms can progress to oral cancer. Often seen in smokers is a hairy tongue which is very unappealing. This condition is caused by an overgrowth of the tiny projections on the tongue’s surface. Germs, bacteria, and food debris usually accumulate thereby causing bad breath. Furthermore smoker’s have a significant reduction in their ability to taste food, often compensated by an increase salting and spicing of their diet.

When an individual unfortunately smokes for many years, he or she usually develops what is called smoker’s face. Many physicians and dentists recognize this look from a distance. The face wrinkles prematurely around the mouth, eyes and neck, simply from the continuous act of inhaling. In addition, their skin lacks blood flow, resulting in a pale, unhealthy appearance.

In closing it is important to stress that we have only briefly covered some of the symptoms associated with smoking, as they pertain to dentistry. However it is safe to say that most, if not all dental and medical conditions are aggravated by smoking. If you are a smoker, please ask your dentist to evaluate the effect it has had on your oral cavity.

What can be done ?

If you are a smoker you must visit a dentist for treatment, which includes medications to cure any gum infection, some teeth cleaning, and proper maintenance on your teeth. You should also know how to observe and practice proper dental hygiene so as to prevent repetition of dental problems.

The best remedy to save your teeth from the harmful effects of smoking is to quit smoking. Meanwhile, you can do the following:

• Brush your teeth using an ultrasonic toothbrush 2 times a day, especially in the area where you chew, both before and after.Most importantly brush before you go to bed.
• Consult your dentist every 3 months to rule out oral cancer and for professional clean-ups.

Tips for Healthy Teeth

Dr. Kavita Mahesh, Smile Care, Bandra Nobody wants to suffer with a tooth ache or bad teeth. Here’s a list of 7 simple things we can do to keep our teeth healthy.

1. Follow a good oral health routine. Brush twice a day and while you are at it remember to clean your tongue too.
2. Floss once a day.
3. Use fluoride. Fluoride strengthens developing teeth in children and prevents tooth decay in both children and adults. Toothpastes and mouth rinses contain fluoride. Drink fluoridated water.
4. Eat a healthy balanced diet and limit snacking. Avoiding sugars and starches when snacking applies to adults as well as children. Minimize snacking and have a five-a-day helping of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Avoid tobacco. In addition to general health risks, smokers have 7 times the risk of developing gum disease compared to non-smokers. Limit alcohol. Heavy use of alcohol is a risk factor for poor oral and general health.
5. Visit the dentist once every 6 months to ensure prompt cleaning of any tartar on teeth or fillings.
6. Understand your own oral health needs. Ask your dentist for any special precautions you might need to take or any medical conditions which your may affect your teeth or oral health.
7. Keep Smiling.

Tips to prevent Bad Breath

Dr. Kripa Shetty, Smile Care, Bandra.Bad breath can be reduced or prevented if you :

1. Practice good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush your teeth after you eat (keep a toothbrush at work or school to brush after lunch). Don't forget to brush your tongue, too. Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months. Use floss or an interdental cleaner to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth once a day.
2. Stop smoking/chewing tobacco-based products. Ask your dentist for tips on kicking the habit.
3. Drink lots of water. This will keep your mouth moist. Chewing gum (preferably sugarless) or sucking on candy (preferably sugarless) also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria.
4. Dentures should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your mouth the next morning.
5. See your dentist regularly – at least twice a year. He or she will conduct an oral examination and professional teeth cleaning and will be able detect and treat periodontal disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may be the cause of bad mouth odor
6. Certain foods that you eat may be the cause of your breath problem. Record what you eat so that you can discuss the same with your dentist and determine which foods may be contributing to the problem
7. Some general health problems (eg. Diabetes, gastritis) and /or medications may play a role in creating mouth odors. Let your dentist know regarding general health issues to decide and treat the same.