You were shopping in a downtown Waco farmers market when you decided it was time for a new diet. You bagged your tomatoes, selected your strawberries, and begrudgingly left with kale too, ready to tackle your health once and for all. However, what you didn’t realize was this: plenty of new diet trends can negatively impact your dental health. Read on to discover a few ways to mitigate these common side effects of popular diet trends to protect your oral health.
Trend #1—Juice Detoxes & Cavities
Going on a juice detox may be a refreshing way to lose weight and stimulate your digestive system. However, consuming fruit and vegetable juice alone can rob your body of the fiber and minerals it needs to promote strong and healthy teeth. Additionally, fruit juice is packed with sugar. Regularly exposing your teeth to fruit juice can erode your enamel and encourage bacteria growth. This can lead to cavity development and tooth decay.
If you go on a juice detox, limit it to a short period. You can also drink your juice through a straw to ensure that your teeth are not overexposed to sugar. Alternatively, you can also enjoy fruit and vegetable juices as a replacement for just one meal per day. This would allow your body the nutrients it needs to support a healthy smile.
Trend #2—Keto & Killer Breath
Keto can create bad breath, also known as halitosis. Keto requires that dieters remain in ketosis to achieve health and weight loss goals. For most people, ketosis means that your breath will smell a bit like rotting fruit. While this can’t be prevented altogether without adding carbohydrates to your meal plan, dieters following keto can benefit from good oral hygiene routines, mints, and drinking plenty of water.
Additionally, certain keto-friendly foods such as spiced meats, garlic, cheese, and onions may result in bad breath due to natural digestion. When the body consumes foods with strong odors, sometimes those odors are released through the lungs for one or two days after the meal.
Trend #3—Raw Foods & Ravaged Gums
Following the raw foods diet, dieters consume large amounts of raw vegetables, fruits, and nuts. This supplies their bodies with plentiful nutrients and vitamins. However, studies have found that limiting your diet to uncooked or hard foods can erode your tooth enamel. Tooth enamel cannot be replaced. Additionally, nuts, fruit skin, and vegetable particles can easily become lodged in your teeth, which may lead to inflamed gums and plaque buildup. Therefore, it’s essential to floss your teeth regularly and include as much soft food in your diet as possible.
If you’re about to join a new diet trend, make sure to do your research and proactively protect your smile. That way, you can achieve optimal health in more areas than one.
About the Author
Dr. Wendy Winarick and her team at Dental Station Waco have served their community for over 20 years. Passionate about their patients’ health, the folks at Dental Station Waco commit to continuing their education and the adopting modern techniques to restore and preserve dental health. If you are planning on starting a new diet and have concerns about your oral health, do not hesitate to reach out through their website or at (254) 772-1827.