Originally published August 26 2005
Avoid acids for healthy teeth
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A diet low in acid and sugar will help maintain dental health.
Not only do teeth and gums look more appealing when they're in tiptop condition, your oral health can also affect other parts of your body.
Toxins produced by severe gum disease can affect your heart and blood vessels, and if you're pregnant, can also endanger the health of your unborn baby, according to information from Colgate, sourced from the American Academy of Periodontology.
That's pretty scary, and so is information from the Australian Dental Association that says dental decay is the second most costly diet-related disease in Australia (its economic impact is comparable to that of heart disease).
To help avoid tooth and gum problems, oral care is vital, and this involves good cleaning practices and regular check-ups as well as a healthy diet, says ADA federal vice president Dr John Matthews.
If you habitually suck lollies or sip soft drinks, you're bathing your teeth in an acidic solution, he says.
Hormonal changes can cause gums to bleed more, but women shouldn't stop brushing because of this.
However, says Dr Foley, as with everyone, it should only be gentle brushing, which is all it takes to remove plaque.
He encouraged his own children to choose savoury, cheesy snacks from an early age, training them to prefer those over sweet things.
"We're naturally inclined to like sugar because when we were living in a more primitive state we'd choose the fruit that was ripest, which was the sweetest," he says.
If your child has a soft drink, juice or sports drink, using a straw can minimise its contact with the teeth, the ADA says.
And afterwards, drinking a glass of water to wash away sugar and acid, then waiting 20 minutes to brush, can help save tooth enamel.
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