Poor Nutrition Effects Dental Health

Healthy Diet Cures Oral Health Diseases

Poor nutrition has an enormous effect on your dental health. Both children and adults suffer from very serious illnesses as a result. Periodontal disease, tooth loss, tooth decay, infections, mouth sores, and increased risk of death are some of the illnesses associated with bad diets and poor oral health. 

Gum disease is an inflammatory disease that is treatable and the main cause of tooth loss (CDC).  

Poor Nutrition Can Lead to Bad Oral Health

Poor nutrition can lead to cancer, high blood pressure, affect mental health in children, cause type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and your oral health (Colgate). Too much sugar in your diet will lead to tooth decay which is the most common childhood disease (Mount Healthy).

Prevent tooth decay in children by having them visit the dentist regularly, brush their teeth supervised, be a good role model by having proper hygiene at all times, and of course limit their sugar intake (DDS). According to the CDC, black children have the greatest disparity of tooth decay, African American adults have the highest amount of gum disease, and the poorest oral health in the U.S. 

Poor Oral Health in Adults

Poor oral health is a cause of increased risk of death in older adults and attributed to lack of fruits and vegetables, diet consisting of processed meats, sweets, saturated fats, and more (Kotronia et al.). 

Malnutrition was the cause for more than 25% of the older patients who visited the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine along with depression, dementia, unwanted weight loss, and other severe illnesses (Allen). As of 2019, its estimated that over 60% of adults have gum disease with 1 and 5 having lost all their teeth (Morris et al.). Eating a healthy nutrition is key to not experiencing any of these issues during your lifetime. 

Water, fruits, vegetables, and calcium are great in preventing gum disease in your teeth because it fights off the disease, instead of inviting it with poor nutrition habits leading to periodontal disease, tooth decay, and infections (Afshin). Erosive teeth wear and dental caries have a direct correlation with the food you eat because it effects the health of the tissues of the mouth (American Dental Association). Healthy eating will help prevent health issues in the mouth whereas bad nutrition will have a negative effect which grows worse over time if those bad habits do not change. 

Diets Good for Your Dental Health 

A diet that consists of preventing cancer will help with your oral health as well. Good nutrition rich in iron reduces inflammation in the tongue and the chances for mouth sores (Academy of General Dentistry). 

A great diet for your oral health includes:

• Nuts 
• Fish
• Apples
• Oranges
• Broccoli
• Avacados
• Bananas 
• Oatmeal
• Olive Oil
• Raw Foods
• Plant-Based

This is a very small list of the many foods available for your dental health. A diet filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories will do wonders because they attack what's bad inside the body, preventing disease. 

You definitely want to avoid high fat diets, fast food, sugary drinks, sweets, smoking, alcohol, and anything else that might be toxic to the body. I know is seems cliche but changing diets will DEFINITELY prevent poor oral health and disease. Believe it or not, healthy eating can be fun and tasty to eat once you get used to it. 

Works Cited

Colgate. “Nutrition and Oral Health 101 | Colgate®.” Www.colgate.com, 24 Nov. 2022, www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/nutrition-and-oral-health/nutrition-and-oral-health.

Afshin, Dr Salamati. “How Can a Poor Diet Lead to Gum Disease? - Afshin Salamati, DDS, MS.” Dr Salamati, 15 May 2020, www.drsalamati.com/blog/how-can-a-poor-diet-lead-to-gum-disease/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2022.

Allen, Kent. “Tooth Decay May Lead to Malnutrition.” AARP, 30 Oct. 2018, www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/tooth-decay-malnutrition-linked.html. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.

CDC. “Gum Disease.” Www.cdc.gov, 18 Nov. 2020, www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/fast-facts/gum-disease/index.html.

American Dental Association. “Nutrition and Oral Health.” Www.ada.org, www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/nutrition-and-oral-health.

Morris, Andrea, et al. “The Link between Malnutrition and Poor Oral Health in Older Adults.” West Health, 6 June 2019, www.westhealth.org/the-link-between-malnutrition-and-poor-oral-health-in-older-adults/.

Academy of General Dentistry. “Know Your Teeth - Infobites - Why Are Minerals and Nutrients Important for Oral Health? -- Search by Keyword, Letter or Phrase - 1-877-2X-A-YEAR (1-877-292-9327).” Knowyourteeth.com, knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=N&iid=315&aid=3805. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.

Kotronia, Eftychia, et al. “Poor Oral Health and the Association with Diet Quality and Intake in Older People in Two Studies in the UK and USA.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 126, no. 1, 20 Jan. 2021, pp. 118–130, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8187263/, 10.1017/s0007114521000180.

Mount Healthy. “Diet and Dental Health.” Mouthhealthy.org, 2022, www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/diet-and-dental-health. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.

DDS, Sarat Thikkurissy. “6 Tips to Prevent Tooth Decay in Kids.” Cincinnati Children’s Blog, 23 Feb. 2017, blog.cincinnatichildrens.org/healthy-living/6-tips-prevent-kids-tooth-decay/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.