Keep Your Teeth With These Food Remedies
Today’s nutritional approaches to oral health go beyond “don’t eat sugary foods.” And that statement generally holds true but are we so complacent nowadays that we're okay with information that generally holds true rather than something specific and effective?
Adequate nutrition is important in disease prevention, and nutritional counseling is becoming an increasingly important tactic in preventive dentistry,” said Kevin Sheu, DDS, senior dental consultant at Delta Dental.
Again, true but generally true. You want more specifics on what exactly will target your particular concern. I mean adequate nutrition sounds solid but that in itself says nothing and is therefore rendered meaningless. The Sheu adds “The quality and consistency of foods, their nutritional composition
and the combinations in which they are eaten can affect oral health, including
the likelihood of tooth decay.” Again there is nothing that is untrue or false in that statement, but that is exactly what these guys are shooting--to make information so general so as to not offer up anything specific for which someone might hold you accountable.
Here's another statement that is so general that it puts you in a trance trying to make sense out of it and you lose the point of your query.
Ongoing research indicates that antioxidants and other nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts may strengthen immunity and improve the body’s ability to fight bacteria and inflammation, all of which can help protect the teeth and gums. And some foods and dietary habits even have distinct effects on the mouth’s ability to handle cavity-causing bacteria attacks.
You cannot get more non-specific and meaningless than "Ongoing research." That is the type of phrase that any frightened, salaried bureaucrat will use so as not to draw criticism but to come off as authoritative. It offers nothing specific; in fact, it only baits the reader with the phrase ". . . nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts MAY [my emphasis] strengthen immunity . . . all of which HELP protect the teeth and gums." Could it be more vague? Actually, the very next sentence out performs the ambiguity, "And some [without naming a one] and dietary habits [which ones?] even have the distinct [he uses the word distinct without being distinct . . . clever] effects on the mouth's ability to handle cavity-causing bacteria attacks."
Next, the article offers examples of the different types of functions that certain foods perform. It begins with calcium-fortified beverages.
Calcium-fortified juices, milk and other dairy products are rich in calcium and vitamin D and help promote healthy teeth and bones, reducing the risk for tooth loss. Adding powdered milk to cooked dishes helps those who don’t like milk or cheese to get some of the calcium needed to protect teeth and jawbones.
The problem with fortified D is
that you don't often get the more important D, D3; you get vitamin D2. Bill Sardi explains that
Numerous studies conclude that vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the natural form, is superior to D2 (ergocalciferol), the synthetic form [Nephron 2015; European Journal ClinicalNutrition 2015]
One study showed the incidence of vitamin D deficiency was 56% among D2 users and 25% among D3 users. [Journal Parenteral Enteral Nutrition 2015]
A strong case has been made that vitamin D2 is not suitable for food fortification or supplementation since D2 is not equivalent to vitamin’s D3’s ability to raise vitamin D blood levels and ability to adhere to vitamin D binding protein. [American Journal ClinicalNutrition 2006]
So make sure to use D3 and not D2,
the synthetic form used in fortified foods. The article continues with
functions and benefits of other foods.
Cheese unleashes a burst of calcium that mixes with plaque and sticks to the teeth, protecting them from the acid that causes decay and helping to rebuild tooth enamel on the spot.
What, so the calcium in cheese
sticks to your teeth like a coating, and that coating is supposed to be good
for your teeth?
Crisp fruits and raw vegetables, like apples, carrots and celery, help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath.That sounds more plausible. But plausibilty is not proof.
Antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, and other nutrients from fruits and vegetables help protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and bacterial infection.
Okay, the article is about dental
health. I don't know why he needs to refer to "other tissues"
without specifically naming them when we're focused on the tissues of the
mouth, meaning one's gums.
Recent studies indicate that fresh cranberries interrupt the bonding of oral bacteria before they can form damaging plaque.
"Recent studies"?
Which ones? ". . . indicate"? How? Where?
Where's the proof, the data? And "interrupt the bonding of oral
bacteria"? Is that really adequate and definitive information, and
would you settle for your lawyer to make such claims using similar
phrases? "A recent studies show that you're better off making a plea
and accept the verdict." But you're willing to accept this level of
gassing from nutritional information?
Folic acid promotes a healthy mouth and supports cell growth throughout the entire body. This member of the B vitamin family is found in green leafy vegetables and brewer’s yeast.
This is true. But don't get
B-12 from brewer's yeast; instead, take it in its most absorbable form:
methylcobalamin.
You may already know that cavity-causing organisms feed on the sugar in foods such as soda, chocolate milk and candies and convert it to acid, which attacks tooth enamel and causes tooth decay.
But did you know that acidic foods and drinks can wear away your enamel, leaving your teeth sensitive, cracked and discolored?
"You may already know that
cavity-causing organisms . . . ." You mean bacteria? And yeah,
we know that sugar is bad for our teeth.
Timing is everything
A diet that promotes good oral health is not just about the foods you eat or avoid — when and how you eat them is equally important.
Foods that take a long time to chew or that you hold in your mouth (such as cough drops) can damage teeth as they retain sugar in the mouth longer than do other foods.
Instead of snacking on sugary, carbohydrate-rich or acidic foods throughout the day, eat these foods just during meal times in order to minimize the amount of time teeth are exposed to acid. In addition, the body produces more saliva to help digest larger meals, which washes away more food and helps neutralize harmful acids before they can attack teeth.
Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry.
As you can see it is not good to
have fractured, meaning busted, teeth. Do not agree
to any dental procedure where your dentist files down your teeth. You
want to keep as many teeth you're born with. If you don't like it, just
remember what the alternatives are: filed-down teeth, removed teeth, which
reminds me.
Are you thinking of getting braces
for your teeth because you don't like that a few are crooked? Here's what
happens. The orthodontist will remove some of your teeth. You don't
know how many. It could be 3 or 4 or more. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE
YOUR TEETH, SO WHY SUDDENLY AGREE TO LETTING AN ORTHODONTIST PULL
THEM OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!! Can you hear me now!!!
Vitamin D3 hardens enamel. So if you want to harden the enamel of your teeth and keep them hard and durable for years, supplement with vitamin D3. On vitamin D3, Sarid says that
Vitamin D hardens enamal. Cavities occur in winter when D levels are low. Sugar feeds streptococcus bacteria and produces acid and eats away the enamal on your teeth.
Vitamin A rebuilds the pulp of your teeth. Bill Sardi explains that
Vitamin A encourages stem cell differentiation and new bone; resveratrol activates osteocalcin to build new bone.So, for your teeth, supplement with D3, A [Palmitate], and Resveratrol.
Loved your blog. Seriously, I am not a vegetable lover but after reading this blog I will surely try some.I am an oral patient. I wear Invisalign Chicago , suggest me one thing , Is there any natural product or tip to take care of my oral hygiene. as I waer braces.
ReplyDeleteFood is not the cure-all though I am aware that my site could insinuate that. For oral hygiene while wearing braces, Listerine is good for controlling bacteria and freshening breathe. Bill Sardi has recommended clove oil, http://knowledgeofhealth.com/eugenol-from-clove-bud-oil/.
ReplyDelete