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Get that toothy smile
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Sugars in fruits are less harmful than those in juices. Here’s how to minimise tooth decay
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The average life expectancy of humans is decades more than what it was a century ago. Most of us expect to live to a ripe old age, and it is important to nurse one’s teeth through a long life.
Diet is an important factor in dental health. Milk and dairy products, especially cheese, raise pH values in the mouth and reduce tooth exposure to acid.
Dairy products are rich in calcium and phosphorus that help mineralize teeth. The protein in dairy also helps to buffer and neutralize acid. Foods rich in fibre encourage chewing and the flow of saliva – which increases the ph of the oral cavity and promotes remineralisation.
Dental caries is tooth decay caused by acid-forming bacteria lodged in between teeth. Sugar is the main food associated with caries. Table sugar (sucrose), fructose and maltose are all equally responsible.
The frequency of sugar consumption, rather than the amount of sugar consumed, determines acid damage. Teeth need time to repair themselves, and sugary snacks in between meals impair this process. Limiting sugary foods and drinks to meal times limits caries.
Fruits are not as bad as other sugary foods because the sugar is within the cells. Fruit juice, on the other hand, is full of sugar swishing around openly, and can cause caries. This why giving babies fruit juice in a milk bottle is not a good idea.
Dental erosion differs from caries in that it results directly from acid without the intervening role of bacteria. The Indian habit of drinking frequent cups of sweetened tea in between meals does teeth no good at all. Tea contains fluoride and should be healthful, but the sugar content more than outweighs the benefits.
To make teeth last for a lifetime, eat calcium-rich foods, get enough Vitamin D, avoid snacks in between meals, rinse promptly after sugary and acidic foods, and use fluoridated toothpaste.
RAJIV. M
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