practical living
Something to chew on
Five things you didn’t know were
affecting your oral health.
By Helen Voronina
A
s a dental implant surgeon,
I often see patients at the end
stages of tooth loss. While I love
the ability to get a patient back on track
with their health by doing full-mouth
reconstructions, implants and so on, I do
believe that treatment should be only a
small fraction of what we doctors do.
All mindful medicine should focus on
prevention as the foundation of health, not
treatment. Prevention saves money, time,
pain and it puts the patient back in control
of their own health and life.
To have a truly healthy smile, you must
have a healthy lifestyle – they go hand
in hand. Whole-body wellness is dental
health. And a bright, healthy smile has a
huge psychological benefit as well.
So, here are five things you didn’t know
were affecting your oral health and how to
avoid them.
1
Frequent sugar consumption
Caries, also known as tooth decay or
cavities, are the biggest dietary-related
disease affecting people of all ages. Caries
are caused by sugar in the diet. Prevention
of decay is paramount. Minimising sugar
intake and frequency are proven ways
to prevent decay. If you feel like having
a dessert, have it as an occasional, one-
off treat, but try to replace other sugars
in your diet with non-sugar sweetened
alternatives.
Watch out for hidden sugars in non-
sweet foods, like those found in pre-
packaged sauces, condiments, bread and
savoury biscuits.
Remember, it’s not just the amount of
sugar you eat – even a little sugar many
times throughout the day in sneaky foods
causes caries. A can of soft drink in one
sitting will do less damage than the same
can sipped in small doses over the course
of a day.
2
Dietary acids
Here are some other hidden dietary
disease-causing culprits: juices, smoothies,
citrus fruit, soft drinks and food acids. Food
acids, even the kinds in ‘healthy’ food, are
troublesome. Acids erode tooth enamel,
resulting in mild to severe tooth wear. Just
like with decay, frequency and the extent of
exposure to acidic foods will determine the
severity of erosion.
How can you enjoy the occasional tangy
treat? Limit your indulgence to once or
twice a day. Don’t sip on acidic drinks or
snack on acidic treats throughout the day
– even small amounts spread over time
cause erosion.
Rinse your mouth out with water after
eating or drinking acidic foods. And
don’t brush your teeth right after having
something sweet or acidic. Your enamel
needs time to remineralise after sugary or
acidic meals. Wait at least an hour to brush
after meals or drinks.
3
Gum disease and oral hygiene
Have you been shown how
to brush and floss your teeth
correctly? Using correct technique is
the only way to prevent and treat gum
disease. Tooth loss is the end result
of periodontal (gum) disease, and
unfortunately is way too common in our
ageing population. So common, in fact,
we think of tooth loss as a ‘natural’ part of
ageing. It’s not!
You can keep a healthy smile for life.
Gum disease is prevented at home with
good dental hygiene and technique,
not by dentists. Good oral hygiene
habits are paramount at any stage of
life but become particularly important
as we mature. Please ask your dentist
or hygienist how to maintain your
periodontal health so that you can keep
your teeth for life.
4
Poor oral health could contribute to
heart disease
Periodontitis (gum disease) is also linked
with coronary heart disease. According to
studies published in the American Heart
Journal, if you’re a male with periodontitis,
you are 70 per cent more likely to get
coronary heart disease than a male with no
periodontal disease.
Furthermore, treating the periodontal
disease with good oral hygiene
improves the health of your heart.
These statistics are staggering and show
that oral health is connected to whole-
body health. Periodontitis is connected
with one of the leading causes of death in
the world.
Now, there is no better reason to keep
your gums in tip-top condition.
5
Not enough teeth to eat with and
uncomfortable dentures
Loose dentures and missing teeth both
affect our ability to eat, and eating
well is a key to longevity. If you’ve
experienced tooth loss, there are great
solutions available these days to replace
missing teeth.
Implants serve as a replacement for
natural teeth. They are the next best
thing we have to teeth. People who have
their teeth and dentures replaced with
implants report that they can eat anything
they like: apples, carrots –they can even
crunch on nuts. Dental technology has
come a long way and the results are truly
life-changing. ■
Dr Helen Voronina is an implant
dentist and owner of Melbourne
based practice, Dr Helen’s Dental &
Implant Studio.
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