Your diet can contribute to cavities and gum disease. Learn the effects of your diet with our dedicated dentists in Swansea.
Good oral home care, including twice daily brushing and once-a-day flossing can help keep teeth and gums healthy and free from disease, but your diet can also make a considerable difference. Even small changes can help improve dental health, reducing your risk of cavities and gum disease.
Our experienced dentists can analyse your diet before suggesting changes to improve dental health. Often these changes can be straightforward and easy to implement and may help improve your general health as well as your dental health.
For example, many people prefer to snack on a few smaller meals throughout the day rather than sticking to three larger meals. While this can be preferable for keeping energy levels high, it can mean teeth are exposed to acids for longer. Changing snacks to more tooth-friendly options such as crunchy vegetables and calcium-rich cheese can make a difference through reducing acidity in the mouth.
Fizzy drinks are widely consumed, but can be high in sugars and acids. Switching to alternative drinks such as milk, water or green tea can help improve dental health. Alternatively using a straw to consume fizzy drinks will minimise their contact with teeth so they cannot cause so much damage.
We will usually ask you to fill out a chart over the course of a week detailing all food and drink consumed. From this, we can analyse sugar content and time intervals between sugary foods and determine your risk of developing cavities. We can also then offer detailed advice regarding changes to your diet and timing of snacks to reduce risk of dental disease.