Can Certain Diets Hurt Your Oral Health?
By Murad Rashid | Published on January 14, 2011 | 0 Comments
For the most part, the majority of fad diets that people go on will have little – if any – effect on their oral health, says Dr. Murad Rashid in Clearwater, Florida. An emergency dentist at Dentist Place, Dr. Rashid explains that most people don’t stay on any single diet long enough for it to have much of an impact on their teeth or gum health.
If a patient were to decide to stay on a radical diet for an extended period of time, however, then Dr. Rashid says that he or she may want to consult with a dentist first – just to make sure that the adjustment in food intake won’t cause any harm orally.
For the most part, eating fewer calories on a day-to-day basis will actually improve people’s oral health, since it means that less sugar is going in their mouths. Additionally, Dr. Rashid says that patients who are physically healthy are less likely to have cavities or gum disease. Serious conditions such as diabetes have been linked to serious dental conditions such as periodontal disease, so patients who are able to get their weight under control – and their diabetes under control, as a result – are most likely improving their oral health and decreasing their chances of being diagnosed with gum disease without even realizing it.
Of course, Dr. Rashid says, some diets are better than others. Dr. Rashid explains that he would never recommend that a patient try out a diet that is high in carbohydrates – no matter how much weight the patient is expecting to lose as a result. Diets that are high in carbohydrates also tend to be high in sugar, which is a leading factor in tooth decay and cavities.
One of the most popular diet plans these days is the low carb diet plan, in which people focus on eating as many proteins and as few carbohydrates as possible. Dr. Rashid sees no reason why this diet would have any negative effect on a patient’s overall oral health, since there are no dental conditions associated with eating a diet that is very high in protein or animal fats.
As far as dieting is concerned, the only advice that Dr. Rashid offers patients is to stay away from sugar whenever possible. Foods that are loaded with sugar can cause decay on teeth – including sugary drinks or shakes that dieters have been told to use as meal replacements.
According to Dr. Rashid, it is not the quantity of sugar that makes as much of a difference as the amount of time that the sugar is consumed. Thus, when it comes to meal replacement drinks or diet sodas, it’s better to have two drinks in a short period of time than to sip on one drink all day long. The longer the sugary drink makes contact with the teeth, the more damage that sugar is doing.
Before starting any new diet, Dr. Rashid recommends consulting with a physician and possibly even a dentist to make sure that the new meal plan isn’t doing more harm than good.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.