Food Cures (17 page)

S
mile.

Go ahead, try it. Smile…right now, wherever you are.

Psychologists have discovered that when people smile, they can activate brain centers that signal happiness, even if they didn’t feel particularly happy to begin with. Imagine all the feel-good moments you’ll miss out on if you’re too self-conscious about your teeth to smile.

Many of us are more concerned with how our smiles look than how healthy our teeth are. Don’t believe me? Take a look at these numbers: About 80 percent of adults have some form of periodontal disease, which often goes untreated. Most people don’t even floss every day let alone visit the dentist regularly. On the other hand, tooth whitening is a huge and growing business, a market estimated to be about $1 billion in the United States alone.

But there’s more to dental health than white teeth. It takes understanding some unpleasant truths about the dynamics of food, plaque, decay, tartar, and gum disease. None of it is pretty. Except your teeth, which will be beautiful with just a few changes to your diet and dental routine.

WHAT AFFECTS TOOTH HEALTH?

A tooth has a structure similar to a Tootsie Pop. As just about anyone knows, a Tootsie Pop has a hard lollipop outer shell, a soft Tootsie Roll center, and a supporting stick that extends out from the middle of the pop. A tooth has a hard enamel outer shell, a softer dentin center, and a root canal that extends from the middle of the tooth into the jaw. This root canal contains nerves and blood vessels that feed the tooth and keep it alive.

Enamel surrounds the exposed part of the tooth, stopping just inside the gum line. Made primarily of calcium, it is the hardest substance in the body—harder, even, than bone. But unlike bone, enamel cannot regenerate. If the outer shell is breached, the inner part of the tooth becomes vulnerable, and can erode down to the root. That’s why any cracks or areas of decay need to be filled by a dentist.

Just under the enamel is the dentin, which contains millions of fluid-filled tubules, tiny canals that lead to the nerve—the extremely sensitive nerve. When the protective enamel wears away then you’ve got trouble. Cavities, cracks, gum recession, tooth-grinding, brushing too hard, or even eating too many acidic foods can all provide access to the tubules and consequently a tooth’s nerve center. Hot foods, cold drinks, sugary foods, or even sudden puffs of air can ride the tubules into the core of your tooth. Anyone with tooth sensitivity knows this is no minor problem…it is both uncomfortable and embarrassing—there’s nothing sexy about that pained grimace after a sip of ice water.

So the first key to good tooth health is keeping your enamel shell strong. That can be a challenge all by itself. Consider this: Every minute of every day, our teeth are collecting a film of plaque—a combination of naturally occurring mouth bacteria, food sugars, and other substances. Food sugars come not just from the obvious sources—the sugar in candy, soft drinks, and other sweets—but also from the natural sugars created during the breakdown of fruits, whole grain foods, and other carbohydrates. All these sugars feed the bacteria, which, in turn, produce acid that leeches calcium salts from enamel thereby weakening it. The process is called
demineralization
. As long as the bacteria and sugars remain in your mouth, the acid level will remain high—which is why sticky foods like raisins, jam, or gummy bears can wreak havoc on enamel long after you finish eating. Once you stop eating a meal and clear food remnants out of your mouth (by, say, brushing), acid levels remain high for about 30 minutes or so before your saliva slowly returns everything back to normal. If you sip sugary drinks or snack continuously, your teeth may remain bathed in acid all day long…and if you have dry mouth from low saliva flow, the acid remains higher longer.

Plaque remains on the teeth unless you brush or floss it away. After about 24 hours, the soft plaque begins to harden into
tartar
, which cannot be removed by simple brushing. If tartar forms at or under the gum line, it can cause the gums (also called
gingiva
) to become inflamed, causing redness, puffiness, and bad breath. This inflammation (or
gingivitis
) might not sound like a big deal—until you take the long view.

Gingivitis is just the first stage of gum disease. Teeth are embedded in the jaw, held in place by connective tissue and surrounded by your gums. If tartar is not removed, toxins destroy the connective tissue, and bacteria can invade the bone around the teeth, creating infection and causing bone loss (a condition known as periodontal disease). If periodontal disease is left untreated, the tooth becomes unanchored, loosens, and eventually falls out.

For healthy teeth, then, start with some basic dental hygiene:

• Limit the number of sugary foods (and low-quality carbohydrates) you eat during the day. Dried fruits, crackers, pretzels, cookies, and other foods that get stuck on or between teeth can be particularly devastating to enamel over time. Lollipops and hard candies are also detrimental since they bathe your back teeth in sugars for prolonged periods of time.
  
• Limit the number of “eating episodes” during the day. If you eat once every 30 minutes, your mouth will always contain acid, and your enamel will be under constant attack. Of course, eating every few hours is normal and perfectly fine.
  
• Avoid sugary drinks altogether…but when it comes to your teeth, the key is to specifically avoid sodas, fruit juices, sweetened coffee or tea, and sweetened sports drinks
  between meals
  . In fact, many dentists recommend avoiding all carbonated beverages, even sugar-free varieties, because they often contain other ingredients that can be acidic. If you must drink them, use a straw to bypass your teeth.
  
• Brush your teeth as soon as possible after every meal. If you cannot brush, at least rinse your mouth with water to remove some food debris. Chewing sugarless gum can also help.
  
• Floss at least once a day to remove food particles and plaque from above the gum line.
  
• Visit the dentist regularly for a professional cleaning—at least once a year, or more frequently if your dentist recommends it. Many dentists recommend twice yearly visits to keep on top of tartar, but some people who are more susceptible to tooth decay and/or tartar build-up may need to go even more often.
  

HOW FOOD AFFECTS TOOTH HEALTH

Although it seems like tooth health is all about what not to eat, there are some foods that contribute to good tooth health.

CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D

Most people understand that calcium and vitamin D are important for strong bones, but many of us fail to make the connection between our bones and our teeth. Teeth are embedded in the jaw bone, so if bone density falls, your teeth won’t have a firm footing. If periodontal disease sets in and begins to erode bone, strong bones will be your first defense against tooth loss. Plus, a calcium-poor diet seems to increase the overall risk of developing periodontal disease. Research has shown that women who get less than 500 milligrams of calcium per day from their diet have a 54 percent greater risk of periodontal disease compared with those who get more than 800 milligrams of calcium per day. But calcium cannot be absorbed and used by bone without vitamin D, so both are important. I highly recommend eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. In addition, women of all ages (especially those who don’t get enough through diet) should consider taking a supplement that contains calcium plus D
₃
(cholecalciferol, the most potent form of vitamin D). See the Supplements section for more information.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is critical for keeping gums healthy because it strengthens blood vessels and connective tissue—including the connective tissue that holds your teeth in your jaw. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C also help reduce inflammation, so this vitamin may help prevent or slow the progression of gingivitis. In a study published in 2000, researchers found that people who did not get enough vitamin C in their diets had about 20 percent increased risk of developing periodontal disease than people who ate plenty of vitamin C-rich foods.

WATER AND TEA

Water not only helps wash away food debris that can get trapped in teeth, it also helps keep saliva levels high. This is important because saliva is the body’s best defense against tooth decay. The proteins and minerals in saliva counteract enamel-eating acids, keeping your teeth strong. That’s why people with dry mouth, no matter what the cause, need to see the dentist more frequently than others. If you have dry mouth, hard candies can be disastrous! Chew sugarless gum instead. Saliva is more than 95 percent water, so if you become dehydrated, saliva flow will be reduced. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Another good drink option is unsweetened green tea. Tea is thought to help prevent tooth decay due to its ability to kill certain types of mouth bacteria, and possibly through its fluoride content. Black tea is good, too, but it can stain the teeth.

BONUS POINTS

• Talk with your dentist about the importance of fluoride.
  Fluoride is one of the most effective measures available for preventing tooth decay. Its effects are so powerful that many public water supplies provide safe levels of fluoridation. Studies have consistently found that children who receive fluoride from their water or dental treatments have less than half the number of dental caries (more commonly known as cavities) as children who don’t get fluoride. This mineral occurs naturally in some foods, such as tea and seafood, and in foods cooked in fluoridated water. With the popularity of bottled water and water filtration systems, many people are not getting as much fluoride as they might think. (To find out whether your drinking water contains fluoride, call your county water department, and the public information phone number published on the bottle of your favorite brand of bottled water or on your filter packaging.) Dentists recommend that everyone brush with a fluoride toothpaste, and suggest that many people can benefit from using a fluoride rinse. Don’t take fluoride supplements without a doctor’s recommendation, and don’t swallow toothpaste—too much fluoride can be toxic and cause tooth discoloration.
  
• If you have heartburn from reflux disease, or if you are bulimic, talk with your dentist.
  Stomach acids that make their way into the mouth, either from reflux or vomiting, can eat away tooth enamel. While you are working on solving your medical problem, make sure your dentist knows about it so you can work together to keep your teeth as healthy as possible.
  
• Stop using tobacco products.
  People who smoke or use other tobacco products are more likely to have tartar, periodontal disease, and tooth loss compared with people who don’t use tobacco. One Swedish study of smokers and nonsmokers found that smokers were more than twice as likely to have periodontal disease—and more severe disease—than nonsmokers. It also stains your teeth, which is never attractive.
  
• Go for crunchy.
  Raw vegetables and crunchy fruits (like apples) are not only jam-packed with vitamins and minerals, they help clean your teeth of plaque and bacteria. Think of them as nature’s tasty toothbrushes!
  
• Chew sugarless gum if you can’t brush after a meal or snack.
  Chewing sugarless gum protects teeth because it stimulates saliva to wash away food particles, acts as a natural tooth brush, and buffers acids to protect enamel. In addition, the artificial sweetener xylitol can inhibit tooth decay by actually remineralizing teeth. Many dentists recommend that their patient chew a piece of xylitol-containing gum after every meal. Read labels, but brands that contain xylitol include most flavors of Trident (except Trident White), Orbit sugar-free gum, Arm & Hammer Dental Care Sugar Free Baking Soda. (Because formulations can change, always check the ingredient list for xylitol before buying sugarless gum.)
  
• Drink soft drinks wisely.
  I do not recommend drinking sodas or sugared soft drinks at all (big surprise!). However, I recognize that some of you may have an ingrained soda habit. While you are weaning yourself off them, here are some tips for safer (but not safe) teeth: