Consumption of acidic foodstuffs like excessive consumption of some fruit juices and carbonated drinks could cause erosion of teeth. One of the great ways to prevent tooth decay from fruit juices and soft drinks is to drink them by using a straw.
The other simple and easy ways to prevent tooth decay are:
- Fried foods, yes they are bad for obese people but they have some benefits too. They coat the teeth and protect them from coming in contact with dangerous acids.
- End your meals with fibrous foods and salads. They are supposed to possess mild cleansing properties as they could remove food debris from the teeth. They also stimulate periodontal tissues.
- Never end your meals with sweets and desserts.
- Limit the intake of refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are sugar, flour and other carbohydrates, which is treated to make them whiter, less fibrous and tastier. These carbohydrates are sticky and stick to teeth for long periods. They could be easily broken down to acids by bacteria in the mouth. These acids are primary cause for tooth decay.
- Look out for sugar content in foods. Go for unprocessed foods like meat, eggs, fish, cereals, vegetables, fruits or cheese. Vegetables contain 2-3% sugar which is very safe for teeth where as fruits have 12%. One of the natural food that contain high sugar is honey (70%) which could be avoided for betterment of teeth.
- Include adequate amount of calcium, phosphorus, fluoride and vitamins like A, C and D in your diet. All of these are there in a normal balanced diet. Fluoride could be supplemented by artificially fluoridating drinking water (1 part of fluoride per million part of water). Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to decay.
- Regular visit to dentist could assist in early detection of severe dental problems.
