Proper diet

Diet plays a vital role in dental health. The condition of the teeth, after they are formed, depends upon the foods one eats from day to day. Dental decay, the destruction of the bone around the teeth, and infections of the gums, can be prevented with an appropriate diet. In fact, with the proper diet, the teeth and jaw-bones can be made harder and healthier as the years go by.

Probably the greatest curse and cause of tooth decay is the consumption of candy, soft drinks, pastries, refined carbohydrates and sugars, in all forms. Bacteria in the mouth break sugar down into acids, which combine with the calcium in the enamel, causing decay or erosion. It is therefore important to restrict one's sugar intake, and to ensure that the diet includes plenty of raw vegetables and wholemeal bread.

Whole foods are ideal. they are good for the teeth as the fibreless refined foods allow particles to accumulate on the teeth in a stricky mass, where they can do great harm. The gums need friction to keep them firm and whole foods also help remove plaque, They are therefore called 'detergent foods' by some dentists.
Whole foods, however, benefit the teeth only if they are free from sugar. Surgeon-Captain Cleave, the author od Saccharine Disease says, 'It is perfectly true that refined carbohydrates are a prime cause of dental decay. but it dos not necessarily follow that unrefined carbohydrates cannot be a cause. if they take a form of stale, coase, wholemeal bread and hard fruits and vegetables, no periodontal disease will follow their consumption'.

In preventing tooth decay, what one eats is no doubt important, but equally important is when on eats. Frequent small snacks are very harmful to teeth, as theoy produce an acid medium in which the bacteria thrive. The number of times one eats sugar is one of the most important factors in determining the rate of decay. For this reason, it is better to eat sweets at the end of the meal rather than between meals.