21.02.2010 - All carbohydrate foods eventually break down into simple sugars.  Fermentable carbohydrates break down in the mouth.  Other foods don’t break down until they move further down the digestive tract.

It’s the fermentable car­bohydrates that work with bacteria to form acids that begin the decay process and eventually destroy teeth.  Certain bacteria on your teeth use sugars from these foods and produce acids.  The acids dissolve minerals inside the tooth enamel by a process called demineralisa­tion.  Saliva helps to rebuild minerals in teeth.

Dental decay begins in­side the tooth enamel when minerals are being lost faster than they are being regained.  The longer food stays near the bacteria on the tooth, the more acids will be produced, so sticky carbohydrates, like raisins, can do more acid damage.

Teeth with a lot of nooks and crannies, such as mo­lars, are more likely to trap food, that’s why they tend to have more decay.  To make matters worse, many of the foods that are unhealthy for teeth don’t just create acids while they are being eaten, the acids stick around for the next half-hour.  Depend­ing on your eating and drink­ing patterns, it’s possible for the bacteria to produce acid almost constantly.  Eating many small sweet or starchy snacks during the day can produce a worse effect if you don’t brush your teeth after any sweet.  Studies have shown that people who eat sweets as snacks between meals have higher rates of decay than people who eat the same amount of sweets with their meals.

Some foods actually seem to protect teeth from de­cay.  That’s because they increase saliva flow and neu­tralise the acids produced by bacteria.  For example a mature cheese eaten im­mediately after other food helps to buffer the acid.

Chewing sugarless gum also can help protect your teeth against cavities. Xylitol is an ingredient in some sugarless gums and mints.  This sweetener has been shown to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth.  It also helps to buffer the teeth against the effect of acid thanks to an increase of the saliva’s flow.

Some recommenda­tions to maintain a good general health would be:
• Eat whole grains daily (brown rice, wholegrain bread…)
• Eat healthier vegetables
• Eat a variety of fruit
• Choose fish, beans or nuts (for some of your protein needs)
• Choose and prepare foods with less salt
• Reduce alcoholic intake to a minimum
• Be physically active each day

To prevent tooth decay, you should follow a few addi­tional guidelines, this can help to keep the amount of acid cre­ated by the bacteria to a minimum:
• Limit between meal snacks: best choice cheese, chicken, meat, nuts.
• Limit the amount of soft drinks or any other drinks with sugar: a better choice is unsweetened tea or water.
• Avoid sucking on hard candies or mints except sugarless varieties
• Foods high in acid can make the mouth more acid (citrus fruits)
• Brush your teeth after eating and after drinking liquids containing sugar, to remove the bacteria plaque that creates the destructive acids.
• Chew sugarless gum or mints which that contains Xylitol.

Clinica Dental Fañabé Plaza is made up of a team of professionals dedicated to offering a dental service for all the family.  The first check-up appointment is free.  They can be found on CC Fañabe Plaza, Avda. Bruselas, local 355 2nd Floor, Playa Fañabé.  Make an appointment now by call­ing 922 714225.



This article appears in the print edition 610 of Island Connections

Gallery: How food can affect mouth health

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