Dr. Celeste Latham didn’t like what she was seeing. The patient’s teeth were visibly dull, chalky and rough in texture — telltale signs of acid erosion, which had developed in just six months since her last checkup.
“The enamel on some of her teeth had just worn off,” said Latham, of Lovers Lane Dental Associates in Dallas.
Latham quizzed the patient, and it turned out she’d been drinking a concoction containing lemon juice as part of a weight-loss cleanse. And to make matters worse, she was brushing her teeth immediately after drinking the juice.
As more people try restrictive diets to lose weight, scenarios like this one are becoming more common, experts say. Even diets that many consider healthy — liquid cleanses, low-carb diets like Atkins or Paleo, vegan or raw diets — may not always be so healthy for the teeth and gums.
“We tend to think about the impact of foods on cholesterol, blood sugar and our weight, but not on the mouth,” said Connie Mobley, associate dean of research at the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Mobley, who wrote a 2008 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association, “Fad Diets: Facts for Dental Professionals,” believes that dentists are becoming more attuned to the connection between nutrition and oral health. But patients need to understand the connection, too, and get dental professionals’ guidance on how to keep teeth healthy.
Followers of fad diets may lose unwanted pounds — but they might also lose some tooth enamel in the bargain, or experience other side effects in their teeth and mouth, said Lisa Mallonee, a registered dietitian and associate professor at the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, Texas A&M University, Baylor College of Dentistry.
“People know that candy is bad, but they don’t realize that there are other foods that can affect your teeth,” Mallonee said.
Here are some common diets that might impact your dental health, and steps you can take to help counteract the side effects.
Juicing
Many swear by the benefits of a juice cleanse, a three- to seven-day regimen of consuming only fruit and vegetable juices (or other concoctions with ingredients such as lemon juice and cayenne pepper), forgoing solid foods.
But if you’re not eating solid food, you’re not chewing, and chewing performs more functions than just breaking down your food. Chewing stimulates saliva production.
“If you’re just drinking all of your calories, likely you’re not producing the correct amount of saliva, and you need saliva to counteract the bacterial action that can lead to cavities in your mouth,” Mobley said.
If you are eating solid foods but drinking juice often, that can affect your teeth, too.
Juices tend to be acidic, and in liquid form they coat the teeth. In fact, juices can be just as bad, or even worse, than sugary sodas. In one 2015 lab study in Germany, researchers soaked freshly extracted bovine teeth in a variety of different nonalcoholic drinks for seven days, then measured the loss in tooth enamel and dentin (the softer layer of the tooth just under the enamel.)
Orange juice and apple juice were about three times more erosive than Coca-Cola. Similarly, a few laboratory studies point to a possible link between smoothies and enamel erosion.
Mallonee’s advice: Choose whole pieces of fruit and vegetables, rather than consuming them in liquid form. Crunchy fruits and vegetables can help cleanse the teeth.
Latham suggests drinking juices with a straw and swishing afterward with water or a fluoride mouthwash. And don’t do what her patient on the lemon juice regimen was doing. Don’t brush immediately after consuming an acidic beverage.
“Juice with a really high acidity causes the enamel to soften, so wait at least 30 to 60 minutes to let everything neutralize, and then brush,” she said.
You might also ask your dentist about prescription-strength fluoride mouth rinse or toothpaste to help restore teeth. (You can’t replace lost enamel, Mallonee and Latham said, but preventive measures like fluoride can limit further erosion and “remineralizing” toothpastes can help, too.)
Low-carb
Diets that severely restrict carbohydrates — such as Atkins or Paleo — do eliminate many of the foods that can lead to tooth decay. But the diet itself can cause dry mouth and bad breath.
“We also see more bleeding around the gums with patients on low-carb diets who aren’t eating crunchy fruits and vegetables,” Mallonee said.
Bad breath is harmless, but dry mouth can lead to increased plaque and risk of cavities. For patients following low-carb diets, Mallonee advises drinking plenty of water, using a mouthwash (without alcohol), and chewing gum or mints containing xylitol.
Vegan diet
Vegan diets and “raw food only” diets typically mean that the person eats no animal products — meat, fish, cheese, milk or eggs. In that case, it’s important to find ways to get enough vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium and zinc, which are important for the teeth, bones, gums and tissue health.
“If someone develops a nutritional deficiency, it can manifest itself in the oral cavity, with symptoms like cracking and fissuring of the lips or burning tongue,” Mallonee says. She recommends that vegans consider supplements or fortified soy milk to get these nutrients.
On the other hand, one study found that people who followed a vegetarian diet (which includes dairy products and eggs) had healthier gums; however, it’s not yet clear if there’s a cause-and-effect relationship, according to the American Dental Association.
Mary Jacobs is a Plano freelance writer.
Best foods for your teeth
Milk and eggs
Cheese and yogurt
Meat, fish and tofu
Broccoli, bok choy and other dark, leafy vegetables
Celery, carrots and other crunchy veggies
Artificial sweeteners — xylitol
Apples
Lose weight, not teeth
Tips for keeping your teeth healthy while you diet, from Lisa Mallonee and Celeste Latham.
If you’re juicing
To prevent erosion:
Use a straw when drinking acidic juices.
Swish with water after drinking juice.
Brush with a fluoride toothpaste (30 minutes or more after drinking).
Choose whole fruits and veggies rather than juices when possible.
If you’re on a low-carb diet
To manage dry mouth or bad breath:
Use a mouthwash without alcohol.
Chew sugar-free gum or mints containing xylitol (should be one of the first three ingredients on the label).
Drink plenty of water.
If you’re on a vegan or raw diet
To prevent nutrient deficiencies:
Choose supplements or fortified foods to get enough vitamin B-12, calcium and zinc.
Sun exposure can also help ensure adequate vitamin D.
Mary Jacobs
Worst foods for your teeth
Limes, lemons, oranges and grapefruit
Pickles
Coffee
Red wine
Tomatoes
Soda
Candy
Dried fruit
Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/health-and-fitness/health/20151102-how-fad-diets-and-faulty-nutrition-can-spell-dental-doom.ece
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