Protect Your Dental Health With These Foods

"Nutrition habits play a significant role in oral health," says Assistant Professor Melek Çam from the Restorative Dentistry Department at Istanbul Okan University School of Dentistry, who explained tooth-friendly foods and shared important information. In recent years, developed and developing countries have seen an increase in diet and nutrition-related chronic diseases. The global trend in nutrient consumption, driven by social, political and economic factors, reveals that today's diet is increasingly dominated by saturated fats and sugar-rich energy-providing foods, while consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates and fiber-rich foods has declined. Our country's nutritional situation encompasses the problems of both developed and developing nations. According to the National Food and Nutrition Strategy Working Group Report, tooth decay is among the nutrition-related problems frequently seen in our country.

Cheese: A Shield Against Tooth Decay

From an oral health perspective, foods are classified as cariogenic (cavity-causing), cariostatic (neutral to decay) and anticariogenic (cavity-preventing). A food's cariogenic effect varies depending on the type of food, its form, nutrient content, consumption with other foods and beverages, duration in the mouth and frequency of consumption. Cariogenic foods contain fermented carbohydrates and cause the formation of organic acids through microorganisms in the mouth, lowering saliva pH below 5.5 and accelerating cavity formation. Foods that do not contribute to tooth decay, cannot be metabolized by microorganisms and do not lower saliva pH below 5.5 are considered "cariostatic." In particular, foods with high protein content (eggs, fish, meat), fats, foods high in fiber and polyphenols (especially raw vegetables, apples) and oily seeds (especially peanuts) that are high in fat content and contain no or very little fermented carbohydrates exhibit cariostatic properties.

Prefer Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gum

Another cavity prevention measure involves consumption of sweetened foods. The use of sweeteners, particularly xylitol in chewing gum, aims to increase saliva flow and provide buffering and cleansing action while taking advantage of xylitol's anticariogenic properties. Xylitol reduces plaque formation in the mouth and can prevent bacteria from adhering to plaque and tooth surfaces.

Tea's Benefits for Dental Health

The fluoride content in black tea also has a cavity-reducing role. Studies on tea have shown that antimicrobial effectiveness decreases as fermentation increases; unfermented green tea has the highest antimicrobial activity compared to other fermented teas. The compounds in green tea's composition have properties that destroy bacteria and prevent them from adhering to tooth surfaces.

Roasted Coffee and Cocoa Also Protect Teeth Against Bacteria

Roasted coffee has antibacterial effectiveness against many bacteria. Six to eight percent of cocoa beans' dry weight consists of natural plant chemicals. These natural chemicals create a cavity-preventing property. Cocoa's cavity-preventing effectiveness is also directed toward preventing bacteria from adhering to tooth surfaces.

Other Tooth-Friendly Foods

Along with a few lifestyle changes, maintaining oral health is of great importance in all age groups. At the individual level in cavity prevention, proteins such as milk and cheese and plant-based foods containing organic and inorganic phosphates should be preferred.