General nutrition is providing all the nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fats and all the vital micronutrients to your body in optimal quantities so that you can perform well. Here performance means your body can preserve lean body mass, it can synthesize proteins, it can repair and rebuild your body it can make your skeletal system strong and it can maintain optimum level of fluid and electrolyte balance in your body, good oxygen transportation, and can regulate all the metabolic processes in your body.

So general nutrition is not just eating or providing calories to your body whenever you are feeling hungry, but it is to provide good fuel to your body so that you can perform well.

Dental nutrition

Who doesn’t want to be disease free? Remember your health starts with your mouth. Our mouth is like a window to our bodies and if your mouth is not healthy how can you expect your body to be disease free? If you are not paying attention to what you eat, you could be more susceptible to gum diseases, tooth decay and loose teeth in the near future. This may lead to some other problems like cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, IVS, celiac disease and many more.

The dental diet

Vitamin A- Vitamin A is very important for high immunity and healthy cell lining of the mouth. It also helps maintain a healthy salivary flow that washes away the bacteria and other micro-organisms in the mouth.

VitaminB12 and B2- help to reduce the chances of having ulcers in the mouth.

Vitamin C- Helps to keep our gums and soft tissues healthy and strong. Vit C helps in preventing scurvy.

Vitamin D- helps in increased calcium absorption and maintains bone mineral density.

Calcium- helps in making the enamel and bones of the jaws stronger.

Phosphorus-helps in supporting calcium.

How modern food has destroyed our teeth?

Researches prove a diet built around refined and processed carbs and sugary foods or beverages leads to tooth decay. Also, modern food is one of the causes of reduced immunity and gum infections. And then when a person starts his day with refined carbs and sugary drinks you can just imagine the amount of harm to your body.

These days everyone is just consuming empty calories and a high carbohydrate diet which changes the normal flora (microorganisms) of the mouth, making the teeth more prone to decay.
The microorganisms ferment the carbohydrates and foods high in sugars and release acids. These acids dissolve the tooth structure and cause cavities. The bad food choices we make are at the cost of not only our overall health but also our dental health.

The modern food and processed foods these days are soft and do not involve much chewing. That’s one of the reasons our jaws are not being used much as they were used by our ancestors. Due to this, the jaws remain smaller in size and their growth is shunted. The wisdom tooth is unable to erupt in our mouth due to the smaller size of the jaws. That is why we must try to include more fibers in our diet. Also fibrous foods help get rid of the sticky plaque that resides on the tooth surface which reduces the risk of tooth decay.

It’s a no brainer you need nutrients and vitamins for your body to function well, but do you know how important these are for your teeth and gums as well? Your teeth will remain healthy if your gums are healthy. Various nutrients, vitamins, proteins, calcium, fluoride, and phosphorus help your teeth and gums in tooth structure connective tissue development healthy periodontal ligament healthy collagen formation, formation of healthy bone, collagen maturation modulatory inflammatory response and epithelial cell turnover.

In contrast, a ketogenic diet, which emphasizes fats and proteins while minimizing carbohydrates, can contribute to a healthier oral microbiome, potentially reducing the risk of tooth decay.

Things to consider while choosing your dental diet

• Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables rather than sweet or starchy foods.
• Try replacing chips and oily peanuts with dry fruits, fox nuts and flax seeds, sunflower seeds etc.
• Try to choose lean meats, poultry, and fish. Avoid processed and acidic foods, and stay away from added sugar.
• Try other forms of sugars like jaggery, dates, honey, maple, stevia, coconut sugar, etc. Following a diet of our ancestors will help us get our body functions in harmony.
• Munch on tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers after your meals. The fiber content helps in removing the left out food stuck on your teeth.
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out the food debris stuck between the teeth thus reducing the chances of tooth decay and also prevents dry mouth. Or you can simply rise after every meal if you want to avoid drinking water immediately after your meals

Highlights

• You cannot expect your body to be disease-free if your mouth is unhealthy.
• The key to strong teeth, bones, and gums is to follow the dental diet.
• Include vitamins A, B12, C, D calcium, and phosphorus in your diet.
• Modern processed foods have destroyed the way our teeth function.
• Smaller jaw sizes are the reason for third molar (wisdom teeth) problems.
• Sugary and modern generation foods make our teeth more prone to decay.
• Your teeth will remain healthy if your gums are healthy.