Toothy!

 

The other day, at the dentist, the hygienist took a quick look at my teeth and said, "Let me guess, you don't drink coffee, tea, or soda?" YJDKIY does, of course, drink a single cup of black coffee each morning, but 98% of the rest of my beverage intake is in the form of water. 

I frequently rant about things like soda taxes, healthy school lunches, childhood obesity, not drinking all your calories, and staying hydrated that should lead you to the same conclusion about soda that YJDKIY arrived at. However, I never stopped to consider the oral health part of it!

Here are a few factoids to consider :

• Limit the number of snacks that you eat. Each time you eat food that contains sugars, the teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more (American Dental Association).
• Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm. More saliva is released during a meal, which helps wash foods from the mouth and helps lessen the effects of acids.
• Dentists are aware of reports that since 1998 over 300 school districts in 32 states have entered into pouring rights contracts, some contracts lasting 10 years - longer than the term of most school board members. (pouring rights = soda in school) What we do know is that when teeth come in frequent contact with soft drinks and other sugar-containing substances, the risk of decay formation is increased.
• Low-carb lifestyle junkies are more likely to suffer from a seldom discussed side effect of such diets -- halitosis, aka bad breath. (WebMD)
• The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, and milk.
• Chewing sugarless gum is actually beneficial to your teeth as chewing helps dislodge food that becomes stuck to your teeth and also increases saliva flow to buffer (neutralize) mouth acids.
• Do not nurse a young child to sleep or put him to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice or sweetened liquid. While a child sleeps, any unswallowed liquid in the mouth feeds bacteria that produce acids and attack the teeth. (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry)
• If you do have sweets, eat them all at once. Avoid 'grazing' over extended periods.  (BBC)
• Drink through a straw. Liquids sucked through a straw have less contact with teeth and are less damaging than those consumed from a glass