• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

Can you eat ANYTHING and still avoid dental problems?

M

ModestasM

Junior member
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
12
Location
England
Hi, is it possible to avoid any teeth problems by following a good oral hygiene while eating anything (including foods that are not good for teeth like high sugar foods or citrus fruits)? I mean for example: WOULD HIGH SUGAR FOODS OR CITRUS FRUITS DO ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR ENAMEL IF YOU RINSE YOUR MOUTH WITH WATER OR MOUTHWASH AND TAKE A CHEWING GUM STRAIGHT AFTER YOUR MEAL? I wonder would sugar or acid damage your enamel during that short period of time while you eat (15-20min) until you rinse your mouth and remove food bits chewing gum? Thank you for any info.
 
Different problems from different foods...
Decay could be easily enough managed if you just avoid eating between meals, it's the frequency of consumption that's the issue, not the amount. Your body is perfectly able to reverse the minor amount of damage done due to eating.

Highly acid food/drinks like fruit juices, carbonated drinks etc will cause different issues, they will basically dissolve off the outer layer os the enamel and can do so fairly quickly, again, the occasional can of Coke is OK, but drinking it regularly will result in damage.
 
"the occasional can of Coke is OK, but drinking it regularly will result in damage."

even if I rinse my mouth straight away after drinking a can of coke?
 
Yes. The coke is very acidic and dissolves off the top layer of enamel/dentine, so unless you rinse out after every sip you'll lose a very small amount of tooth tissue. Obviously this isn't an issue for the odd can, but two or three times a day would become an issue over time.
 
I see. What about high sugar foods that are NOT acidic? Would it cause a significant damage to enamel even if you rinse your mouth after eating and take sugar free chewing gum to remove the bits off the teeth?
 
It's sort of like asking if I can just take heroin if I have someone to watch me who can reverse it if needed. Occasional "junk" food/drink is fine but regular use will eventually cause problems.
 
why do they say fruits are good for you and you should eat more of them, even everyday.. like ''5 different sorts a day'' and etc. if you think about fruits they are acidic and contain sugars (fructose).. so at this case we hav acid + sugar, which is double trouble for the enamel. how do you avoid enamel damage and still enjoy your fruits on a regular basis then? I don't understand that..
 
why do they say fruits are good for you and you should eat more of them, even everyday.. like ''5 different sorts a day'' and etc. if you think about fruits they are acidic and contain sugars (fructose).. so at this case we hav acid + sugar, which is double trouble for the enamel. how do you avoid enamel damage and still enjoy your fruits on a regular basis then? I don't understand that..

Not an expert, but I think it is 5 portions of „fruits and veggies“ so hopefully nobody eats 5 oranges every day but more of few pieces of fruit and few of vegetables, in different varieties and forms. My feel is also that the acidity of a coke is not comparable to that of the most fruits.
 
Canada has recently updated their food guide and they simply say “have plenty of fruits and vegetables” now. This would mean that on a plate, half of it should be of vegetables and fruits.

When they give more details, there is even a section where they mention dried fruits are good but since they can stick to teeth, they can cause cavities. In this case, you are better eating it with a meal.
 
If you haven't seen this guide yet it might be helpful since it goes into more detail about the things mentioned above (frequency, snack foods, etc.).

 
that was a very good article. thanks a lot. it helped me.
 
Back
Top