We all know it\u2019s that time of year for autumn colors, chilly weather, warm soup, candy corn, hot chocolate, and dental caries.\u00a0 Dental caries?\u00a0 Yes, dental caries.\u00a0 Halloween kicks off the holiday season and fills our routines with sweets, holiday gatherings, scary costumes, and not to mention warm snuggles on the couch instead of exercise on the streets.\u00a0 Although it is a wonderful time of year and all worth it to celebrate with family and friends, the health of your teeth can pay the price if you\u2019ve gone overboard on filling your trick-or-treat bucket (and stomach) with candy and other sweets.\u00a0 Nutrition can play a tremendous role in the health of your smile.\u00a0 The amount of saliva you have, the foods you choose to eat each day, and even the type of water you drink affect the health of your mouth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Less saliva means a higher risk for dental caries.\u00a0 Normally, our saliva is supersaturated with calcium and phosphorus, which is used to \u201cbuffer\u201d acids and re-mineralize areas of the tooth surface.\u00a0 An acidic, dry mouth is a nutritious environment for bacteria to grow in; thus, calcium and phosphorus aid in preventing plaque build-up in the mouth.\u00a0 Consuming large amounts of dry, coarse, hard, sticky, and sugary foods and caffeinated or alcoholic beverages decreases salivary flow and increases the acidity of the mouth, aiding in bacterial growth and another expensive visit to the dentist.\u00a0 However, there are a few tips during the holiday season to increase salivary flow while still enjoying a treat here and there:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The foods you choose to consume each day can increase dental caries.\u00a0 Sucrose (table sugar) has the strongest relationship with consumption and prevalence of dental caries.\u00a0 Fructose (fruit, fruit juices) and lactose (milk, yogurt) are less cavity-causing but can still cause caries in excess.\u00a0 Processed, cooked starches (white pasta, bread) alone or in combination with sucrose (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, candy) also cause caries.\u00a0 The reason this occurs is because carbohydrates feed plaque bacteria, produce acid, and begin demineralization of the tooth surface.\u00a0 However, certain food combinations can help reduce tooth decay from carbohydrates.\u00a0 Consume a meal with protein, fat, and other nutrients (calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, fluoride) to help re-mineralize damaged teeth and prevent dental caries.\u00a0 Basically, this means continue eating your MyPlate model full of healthy whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein sources.\u00a0 Visit choosemyplate.gov<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition, it is important to remember some carbohydrates stick to the surface of the tooth, feeding bacteria within the mouth.\u00a0 These foods include raisins, breads, bananas, crackers, pretzels, potato chips, candy, chocolate, and other sweets.\u00a0 Try rinsing your mouth after consumption of these sticky foods.\u00a0 Other factors have shown an increased risk of caries, including frequent snacking on sugary foods and excessive snacking in general.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Consumption of fluoride and other trace minerals (zinc, iron, copper, nickel, selenium, and molybdenum) contribute to good oral health and show up more often in healthy teeth.\u00a0 Fluoride can be found in toothpaste and\/or fluoridated water or supplements.\u00a0 Individuals are encouraged to consume tap water that is fluoridated due to its strong evidence to reduce the risk of caries.\u00a0 New research indicates the use of probiotics can prevent caries as well; however, more research is needed to understand this fully.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Finally, cariostatic foods can aid in oral health.\u00a0 You probably consume them every day without knowing it.\u00a0 Cariostatic foods are those that inhibit the formation of dental caries.\u00a0 Dairy products, polyols, and plant polyphenols are all cariostatic food categories:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Increased saliva, good oral hygiene (brushing and flossing twice a day), exposure to fluoride (water, toothpaste), and consumption of moist foods with ample nutrients and cariostatic factors are all protective measures to prevent dental caries and painful visits to the dentist, especially after the sugar-binge during this upcoming holiday season.\u00a0 Keep your mouth healthy, but make sure to enjoy a sweet and spooky Halloween!<\/p>\r\n Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all know it\u2019s that time of year for autumn colors, chilly weather, warm soup, candy corn, hot chocolate, and dental caries.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5198,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[421,957],"tags":[316,49,427,318,321,317,320,319],"class_list":["post-977","newsletters","type-newsletters","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-newsletter","tag-dentist","tag-foods","tag-health-and-wellness","tag-healthy-mouth","tag-oral-hygiene","tag-prevent-dental-caries","tag-saliva","tag-sweets"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newsletters"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16716,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletters\/977\/revisions\/16716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Sticky Foods<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Minerals<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Cariostatic Foods<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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