Nutrition And Dental Health Intimately Linked

Proper nutrition and dental health are indeed intimately linked. Malnutrition has long been linked to common dental health problems, including:

• Tooth decay
• Gingivitis
• Advanced Periodontal Disease
• Halitosis

Thus, before focusing on fancy dental health products that are supposedly the new space-aged cure-all for dental health and oral hygiene concerns, it is important to get the basics right. This may be considered to be alternative dental health care by some dentists and medical professionals who tend to focus most education efforts on good oral hygiene practices. However, nutrition is the foundation of dental health and oral hygiene is the complement.

To this end, it is important to focus on fluoride intake. Almost all dental health information released in the past 3 generations points to the importance of fluoride in the prevention of the most common dental problems-cavities.

If you ingest a single milligram of fluoride every day since the day you were born, the odds of having tooth decay decreases by an estimated 50-60%. This is because fluoride is particularly important when teeth are developing because it will literally increase the strength of the tooth and its surrounding enamel as the teeth are mineralizing.

So, the earlier fluoride is added to the diet, the better protected you will be. Fluoride is naturally a part of our dental health and oral hygiene routine even when we are unaware if we live in communities that add this beneficial mineral to their water source. However, not all communities add fluoride to the water supply or in the same amount. Plus, for people with well water, there is no fluoride present and common dental problems are thus more likely. However, it is possible to buy fluoride tablets or supplements and many dental health products like toothpaste and mouth wash can be found with the mineral already embedded.

However, even with fluoride at recommended levels in your diet, tooth can still compromise your dental health and oral cavity. Cavities are formed when bacteria feed upon food particles that cling to the teeth or becomes stuck in crevices. In particular, the bacteria that are responsible for cavities love carbohydrates. When feeding, the bacteria secrete acid that compromises the integrity of the enamel that helps protect your teeth. The rate of secretion depends upon the type of carbohydrate that the bacteria are feeding upon.

Sugars are carbohydrates and they are the foods that cause bacteria to grow fastest. Fructose, lactose, and glucose are all sugars that cause a rapid production of acid and the resulting destruction of teeth enamel. Current dental health information available from the ADA (American Dental Association) recommends avoiding the following products:

• Table sugar
• Molasses
• Honey
• Corn syrup
• Beverages made with fructose or dextrose

To slow the rate of acid secretion, you may want to engage in a little "alternative dental health care" by eating foods that help cleanse the teeth naturally, such as:

• Meat products as they are free from carbohydrates
• Fresh fruits
• Vegetables, especially the green leafy variety such as spinach, broccoli, and Brussels Sprouts

When proper importance is placed upon nutrition, dental health is naturally improved and good oral hygiene practices are perfectly complemented. For an all natural product to help with your dental health, try OraMD®. OraMD® offers a long-term solution for dental health problems by cleaning the mouth and killing the bacteria that causes plaque, thus preventing the problem before it starts.

Learn more about OraMD® by following the link, nutrition and dental health.