Nutritious Foods for Great Oral Health

Did you know that choosing nutritious foods and eating healthy can improve your oral health? In fact, a balanced diet can help protect your teeth from decay and keep your gums healthy, in addition to brushing and flossing.

Two (2) Steps to a Healthy Gums and Teeth

• Limit sugar intake and minimize the amount of time your teeth are exposed to sugary and sticky foods and drinks

• Eat a combination of foods rich in nutrients proven to be good for your teeth and mouth

Common Foods for an Extra Dose of Good Health

Calcium

This bone-building mineral is essential for sturdy teeth. Research suggests that adults with low calcium intakes have significantly increased risk for gum disease.

Foods High in Calcium

• Almonds

• Broccoli

• Bok choy

• Dairy products

Other Foods Rich in Calcium See Calcium in Foods

Catechins

These powerful green tea polyphenols, particularly EGCG, may prevent cavity-causing bacteria from adhering to teeth.

Foods High in Catechins

• Green tea

• Pomegranates

Insoluble Fibers

This type of dietary fiber may dislodge food particles from between your teeth and gums.

Foods High in Insoluble Fibers

• Broccoli 

• Celery 

• Salad greens

Lysine

Canker sores have been associated with a deficiency of this amino acid.

Foods High in Lysine

• Beans 

• Dairy products 

• Eggs

Vitamin C

In addition to promoting healing in the mouth, this vitamin is a vital component of connective tissue of teeth and bones.

Foods High in Vitamin C

• Berries 

• Citrus fruits

• Capsicum

Other Foods Rich in Vitamin C See Vitamin C in Foods

Reference: RD Healthy Living, Your Health Is in Your Hands, Reader’s Digest July 2006

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in Foods

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. We get what we need, instead, from food. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which occur naturally when our bodies transform food into energy. The build-up of free radicals over time may be largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Signs of Vitamin C Deficiency:

• Dry and splitting hair

• Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and bleeding gums

• Rough, dry, scaly skin

• Decreased wound-healing rate, easy bruising

• Nosebleeds

• Decreased ability to ward off infection

Smoking cigarettes lowers the amount of vitamin C in the body, so smokers are at a higher risk of deficiency. A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy.

Low Levels of Vitamin C can be associated with the following Conditions:

• High blood pressure

• Gallbladder disease (see Gallbladder Inflammation, Gallstone Formation)

• Stroke

• Some cancers

• Atherosclerosis (the build-up plaque in blood vessels that can lead to heart attack and stroke)

Vitamin C can Help You Protect Against:

• Heart disease (See Atherosclerosis, Myocardial Infarction [Heart Attack])

• High blood pressure

• Common cold

• Cancer

• Osteoarthritis

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Pre-eclampsia

• Asthma

Other Benefits of Vitamin C:

• Boosting immune system function

• Maintaining healthy gums

• Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye)

• Treating allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and hay fever (called allergic rhinitis)

• Reducing effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or redness (called erythema)

• Alleviating dry mouth, particularly from antidepressant medications (a common side effect from these drugs)

• Healing burns and wounds

• Decreasing blood sugar in people with diabetes

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Citrus Fruits and Juices	(especially)
	Grapefruit
	Oranges
Fruits	(especially)
	Guava
	Papaya
	Pineapple
	Blueberries
	Melon
	Cantaloupe
	Honeydrew
	Strawberries
	Mango
Root Crops
	Potato (cooked, unpeeled)
	Sweet potatoes (cooked, unpeeled)
Vegetables
	Especially green and leafy

Other Excellent Sources of Vitamin C: 

• Green peppers

• Watermelon 

• Kiwi

• Raspberries 

• Blueberries

• Cranberries 

• Juices fortified with Vitamin C

• Tomatoes (canned and fresh tomatoes)

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Cabbage 

• Brussels sprouts

• Raw and cooked leafy greens (turnip greens, spinach) 

• Red and green peppers

• Winter squash

Vitamin C is sensitive to light, air, and heat, so you'll get the most vitamin C if you eat fruits and vegetables raw or lightly cooked.

References:

Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.245 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-c-000339.htm Retrieved on April 26, 2011

Vitamin A in Foods

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is also known as Retinol and/or Carotenoids.  Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. It may also be needed for reproduction and breast-feeding.


Retinol is an active form of vitamin A. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye. It is found in animal liver, whole milk, and some fortified foods.

Carotenoids are dark colored dyes found in plant foods that can turn into a form of vitamin A. One such carotenoid is beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals are believed to contribute to certain chronic diseases and play a role in the degenerative processes seen in aging.

What’s So Great About Beta-Carotene?

• Our bodies turn beta-carotene into vitamin A.

• Beta-carotene helps prevent certain cancers and eye diseases and makes our immune system strong.

We need Adequate Vitamin A for:

• Good vision

• Healthy skin

• Normal growth

• Preventing infection

(See other important roles of Vitamin A)

Foods Rich in Vitamin A and Beta Carotene (Provitamin A)

For Vegetarians	For Non-Vegetarians
Butter	Fish liver oil
Fruits (yellow like ripe mango, papaya)
Egg yolk
Margarine (fortified)
Vegetables  (dark, green, leafy) (yellow like carrots, squash)

 

Side Effects

Inadequate intake of Vitamin A (Vitamin A Deficiency) can make individual:

• More susceptible to infectious diseases and vision problems

Excessive intake/large doses of Vitamin A can:

• Cause individual to get sick

• Cause birth defects

• Cause acute vitamin A poisoning (usually occurs when an adult takes several hundred thousand IU); chronic vitamin A poisoning (may occur in adults who regularly take more than 25,000 IU a day) 

Babies and children are more sensitive and can become sick after taking smaller doses of vitamin A or vitamin A-containing products such as retinol (found in skin creams).

References:

Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.244 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

http://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/healthencyclopedia/health%20illustrated%20encyclopedia/1/002400.aspx Retrieved on April 18, 2011

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks/Documents/NE/WIC-NE-EdMaterials-VitaminA.pdf Retrieved on April 18, 2011

Gingivitis

Gingivitis refers to the inflammation of the gum. If unchecked, inflammation may spread to the supportive tissues surrounding the tooth and the alveolar bone. This may eventually lead to tooth loss.

Probable Causes

• Poor oral hygiene like not brushing of teeth right after eating especially after snacks, and irregular or wrong way of flossing

• Initiated by dental plaque and intensified by lack of niacin (Vitamin B3) and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in the diet

• Other systemic diseases such as diabetes and syphilis

Probable Symptoms

• Ulcer gum at base of tooth

• Pain

• Foul-smelling breath

• Bleeding

• Dying gum cells

Helpful Dietary Management

• Eat a bland diet with an abundance of Vitamin C- and Vitamin B-complex - rich foods.

• Avoid strong-flavored (spicy, acidic) and coarse foods which are very irritating.

• Brush teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush immediately after eating.

• Avoid between-meal snacks.

• Avoid foods that contain small seeds that can be trapped in a gum ulcer.

 

Note: This dietary management also applies to mouth sores and ulcers.

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.24 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Poor Dentition

Poor dentition is a condition wherein there is a difficulty in chewing food properly due to lack of teeth, poorly aligned or ill-fitting dentures thus hindering proper food digestion.

Probable Causes

• Tooth extraction without replacing lost tooth with dentures

• Inconsistent wearing dentures

• Ill-fitting denture or poor denture usage

Probable Symptoms

• Inability to chew foods properly

Helpful Dietary Management

• Eat a balanced mechanical soft diet.

• Give particular attention to foods rich in Vitamin A, B-complex and Vitamin C for healing or strengthening of gums. 

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.25 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Dental Extraction

A dental extraction is a surgical procedure wherein a tooth or several teeth are pulled out, leaving the patient unable to chew and swallow comfortably.

Probable Causes

• Severe tooth decay (non-restorable)

• Movable tooth due to inflamed gums and connective tissues

• Infections of tooth and surrounding tissues which cannot be corrected by root canal therapy

• Accidents involving tooth

• Part of orthodontic treatment plan

Probable Symptoms

• Localized pain

• Bleeding

• Presence of slight fever

Helpful Dietary Management

• Progress from cold liquid diet to mechanical soft diet for the next 2 to 3 days to help control bleeding. The goal is to provide foods which require little chewing.

 

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.23 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Dental Caries

Dental caries or tooth decay is a health disorder due to the action of pathogenic bacteria.

Probable Causes

• Improper brushing of teeth

• Delayed brushing of teeth

• No brushing of teeth after eating

Note: The above causes result in prolonged contact of food (especially sugars) with tooth surface giving enough time for caries-promoting bacteria to feed on them. This, in turn, produces acid which softens the outer tooth surface making it weak and later broken. Through a broken surface, bacteria enter and attack the soft and more organic inner layers of the tooth.

Probable Symptoms

• Hypersensitivity of teeth to cold, heat and sugars

• Toothache

• Tooth cavity

• Foul breath

Helpful Dietary Management

• Serve a balanced diet in 3 regular meals. See balanced diet and mechanical soft diet.

• Avoid between-meal snacks particularly sugar-sweetened foods.

• Choose firm natural foods over soft sticky ones which stay longer in the mouth.

• Brush properly and immediately after meals.

• Floss at least once a day before going to bed.

 

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.22 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6

Balanced Diet

What is a balanced diet? A balanced diet is a food preparation which provides complete nutrients as well as supplies carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber in their normal proportions. It is the basis for all diet modifications.


This dietary management is also prescribed to person with Dental Caries, Vomiting, Glomerulonephritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid, Simple goiter, Vitamin A Deficiency.

Some Tips for a Healthy Diet

• Eat 3 meals a day instead of frequent ones or eating between meals.

• Establish a regular eating habit.

• Eat a heavy breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a light supper.

• Eat food of the right kind, at the right time and interval, in the right amount, and in the right condition of mind (eating in a relaxed atmosphere is ideal).

• Have at least a 5-hour interval between meals for digestion to be efficient. Last meal of the day should be taken at least 3 hours before sleeping.

• Eat more fresh fruits instead of rich desserts.

• Eat at least one serving of green leafy vegetables a day.

• Eat more unrefined, unprocessed foods.

• Avoid tea, coffee, alcoholic and carbonated beverages (soft drinks).

• Drink at least 6 (or 8) glasses of water a day between meals. (See The Importance of Water.)

• Include a variety of foods each meal.

• Take time to enjoy your food. Do not hurry.

Note: For List of Foods which are Allowed and Not Allowed for a Healthy Balanced Diet See Balanced Diet Food Selection Guide

The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid shows five major food groups and the proportions they have to contribute if your diet is to be balanced. Although the number of exchanges recommended varies from group to group, no single food group is more important than any other. There is emphasis on the nutrient differences of fruits and vegetables and the importance of eating foods from each food group.

How to Balance Your Diet

The correct and specific number of daily servings for you depends on how many calories you need to maintain your optimum or ideal body weight. For example, if you are inactive and not quite tall, choose the smaller number of exchanges for each food group. If you are very active or quite tall, choose the large number of exchanges in each group.

Each person’s body is different and consequently body needs for food vary from person to person. However you may need more or less calories (food energy) depending on your age, sex, size, activity level and medical condition.

Only your physician can tell exactly what your medical condition is and what diet you actually need. Consult your nutritionist-dietitian for a dietary plan just for you.

Indeed, good nutrition or good health is always known to be very important in order to avoid various diseases. Thus, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves healthy for our own benefits.

Reference: Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.78 and p.222-223 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6