Everyone knows that in order to maintain good oral health, brushing and flossing is important. But what isn’t commonly known is that what you eat and drink also play a big factor in tooth decay.
I don’t understand why I keep getting so many cavities!
It’s always discouraging to hear that you have a new cavity, and if you are like most cavity prone patients, you’re wondering “why me?”. While genetics and oral hygiene habits play a big role in who gets cavities and who doesn’t, a lot of our patients are shocked to learn that their diet also plays a roll.
Our mouths, like our bodies have their own pH system. Every time we introduce something new (food, beverages, gum, tobacco), it changes the pH levels in our mouth. Foods such as pasta, soda, wine, candy, animal proteins,juice, lemonade and bread increase the acidity in the mouth and lowers the pH. While foods such as watermelon, spinach, broccoli and cucumbers raise the pH. When pH is low the oral bacteria that to produces lactic acid and cause tooth decay thrive. When the pH is high (Alkaline), it creates an unfavorable environment for that bacteria. Ideally keeping a neutral or slightly alkaline environment is best for your mouth and overall health.
But I eat right for the most part!
Most of our patients eat right for the most part, but are still experiencing tooth decay. A good reason for this can be snacking or sipping on beverages through out the day. While diet wise this is a great idea and helps to speed the metabolism it’s important to pay attention to what your snacking and or sipping on, and how often. While you may be limiting the amount of acidic foods that you are eating, you may be eating them slowly through out the day. Just because you’ve finished eating and or drinking an acidic item, doesn’t mean that the pH of your mouth has returned to normal. In a healthy mouth, pH levels usually return to normal within 15-30 minutes of drinking or eating. If you are consistently sipping or snacking your mouth never has a chance to neutralize.
But I drink water in between!
Drinking water regularly is not only important for hydration purposes, it can also help to speed the recovery of our bodies pH systems. However, it’s still important to pay attention to where your water is coming from and it’s potential pH ratings. Recent studies have shown that bottled waters are not always neutral in pH as you may expect them to be. Most bottled waters are actually acidic in pH and can contribute to having an uneven oral pH and cavity friendly environment.
For more information regarding pH levels and how they can effect your oral health visit http://www.mouthhealthy.