Nutrition And Bleeding Gums information, tips and advice

Cavities can happen at any age, but there are some things you can do with your daily diet to help protect your teeth. Eat sugary, starchy, sticky, or acidy foods with lower-acid foods, such as dairy products. This will neutralize the acids and slow the cavity-causing process. High-fiber foods, such as celery, mangoes, and winter squashes, act as Mother Nature's dental floss. They help keep the surfaces of your teeth clean while you eat. Add a serving or two of these foods to your daily menu. However, be sure to brush and use real dental floss after eating these foods to catch and remove any stray fibers--otherwise they can actually increase decay risk.

Inside help

Diet has a significant role to play in keeping your choppers chopping. "No specific food or foods have been shown to prevent or cure oral diseases on their own," says Riva Touger-Decker, ., ., program director of clinical nutrition at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. "But a balanced diet fits in with good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups to help prevent most dental diseases."

To do their job and keep their environment fit, teeth crave the minerals potassium, phosphorous, vitamin D, and calcium, as well as fluoride (from sources such as fluoridated tap or bottled water). The best dietary sources for vitamin D and calcium are dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, and milk.

The best nondairy sources of calcium include fortified juices and cereals, leafy green vegetables, and nuts. Other nondairy sources of calcium to consider are soy foods, such as tofu and soy milk, which have been fortified with extra calcium. For potassium and phosphorous, fruits and vegetables are the best sources.

Tooth health, by gum

Gum disease, not decay, is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. Also, diseases involving nutrition, such as diabetes, are hard on gums. Having a gleaming set of pearly whites will do you little good if you don't have great gums to hold them in.

There's evidence that not eating enough foods containing vitamin C, or the B vitamins niacin, riboflavin, biotin, and folate, can promote gum disease. Deficiency in these vitamins can lead to bleeding gums, mouth sores, and inflammation of the tongue and mouth.

Vitamin C may be especially helpful for gums. In one study comparing people who ate low amounts of vitamin C-containing foods with people who ate foods totaling about 80 mg/day of C, the low-amount group had deeper pockets in the gums, thus a higher risk of gum bleeding and plaque buildup around tooth roots.

Luckily, vitamins C and B are in many foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grain products--as well as lean meat and dairy products for nonvegetarians. Vitamin E from beans, nuts, and whole grain foods should also be enlisted to help in the fight to prevent gum disease--especially gingivitis (the inflammation and infection of the gums).

Older adults face another challenge. Gums may recede with age, exposing tooth roots to an increased risk of cavities. Also, after about age 65, the mouth tends to be dryer, allowing foods to stick to and between teeth for longer periods of rime, causing tooth decay and worsening gum condition. The good-for-your-gums foods mentioned above can help, along with drinking water with dinner to keep the mouth moist. As always, brushing and flossing after eating gives your good-tooth diet the best chance to work.

The absolute tooth

Even as an adult it's never too late to start eating such foods as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains--as well as calcium-fortified foods and beverages--to help preserve and protect your teeth. Now that's definitely something to smile about.

TOOTHSOME Q & A

Q. Which is more likely to give you cavities: chocolate or raisins?

A. It's raisins. They're sweet, hard to clean from between teeth. Brush and floss after eating dried fruits and other sticky foods.

Q. Does this mean that chocolate doesn't cause cavities?

A. The answer is a "definite" yes and no. Unsweetened chocolate contains compounds that kill cavity-causing bacteria. But in milk- or semisweet-chocolate varieties, the added sugar counteracts the action of these compounds, letting the bacteria do their dirty work.

Q. My teenage daughter is a vegetarian. Will this affect her dental health?

A. Research is inconclusive. Some studies show that being a vegetarian has no bearing on oral health, some show vegetarians experience lower cavity rates, higher tooth wear, and tooth shifting. Some vegans--vegetarians who do not eat eggs or dairy foods--risk deficiency in the very vitamins and minerals teeth need most. Best bet: Make sure your vegetarian eats a variety of foods, and flosses and brushes regularly.