Eating tips for healthy teeth

According to dentist Alex Foo, to prevent tooth damage, it is necessary to give your teeth a rest after lunch. He recommends that people do not eat or drink for two hours after lunch to help strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay.

“Allowing saliva to naturally clean and remineralise teeth for at least two hours after a meal can significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay and enamel erosion,” says Dr Foo.

He explained that after lunch, the pH of saliva increases dramatically, promoting the remineralization of tooth enamel, thereby effectively protecting teeth. Tooth remineralization is the body’s natural mechanism to restore tooth enamel after performing the daily chewing function. Because the mineral layer is constantly eroded by harmful bacteria, sugar and acids in food. This is also known as demineralization, which gradually erodes the enamel, leading to tooth sensitivity.

Dr Foo says what you eat at lunch also affects the quality of your saliva throughout the day. Healthy eating choices will lead to a healthy mouth.

“Salads or other healthy options can promote dental health,” he says.

Whitney DiFoggio, a dentist in New York, also supports this view. Previously, Dr. DiFoggio said that to keep teeth bright, people should avoid easily fermentable carbohydrates in their diet – such as white bread, pasta, chips, cereals and cookies.

“Fermentable carbohydrates are bad for teeth because they break down into sugar while still in the mouth. This is the hidden sugar that can erode teeth,” she explains.

These forms of carbohydrates make the mouth more acidic, she notes, because saliva has to work overtime to remove sticky food from the teeth, “increasing the likelihood of tooth decay.” Hard, crunchy foods that require biting and chewing, like carrots and celery, are generally better for overall dental health, DiFoggio says.

Dr. Foo also recommends chewing xylitol gum after lunch, which he says stimulates saliva production, which is good for your teeth. Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in plants and is often used in chewing gum, which is considered a healthier sugar-free alternative to aspartame-sweetened gum.

Previously, Shaadi Manouchehri, a dentist in the UK, revealed her breakfast and brushing habits. To maintain optimal oral hygiene, she brushes her teeth before breakfast.

“If you brush your teeth after eating, your gums and teeth can be damaged. You are more susceptible to tooth decay because overnight, bacteria in your mouth multiply. Eating immediately is very harmful, so you need to brush your teeth before eating,” said Dr. Manouchehri.

Brushing your teeth before breakfast also protects your teeth from harmful acids in foods and drinks and gives you fresh breath.

If you decide to brush your teeth after breakfast, you can wait 30 minutes to give your enamel time to remineralize and harden after exposure to acidic foods. You can drink water to kick-start this process.

Dr Foo also said that brushing twice a day is not enough to keep teeth healthy. People should brush their teeth about three times.