Many
people have a misconception that if they can thoroughly
brush their teeth, they can avoid having dental caries.
In fact, in order to effectively prevent dental caries,
we have to start with a good dietary habit.
What kinds of food will lead to Dental Caries?
All food that contains sugar can be metabolised
by the bacteria in the plaque
located on the tooth surfaces to produce acid. The acid
will attack enamel
of the teeth which will lead to dental
caries.
Most of the food
and drinks available in the market contain sugar which
will increase the risk of getting caries.
Snacking frequency and Dental Caries
As
soon as we eat or drink, the bacteria in the plaque
on tooth surfaces will metabolise the sugar and produce
acid. The acid will then lead to loss of minerals
from
the
tooth
surfaces.
Chances of getting dental caries will be reduced by
allowing sufficient time in between meals for the
saliva
to neutralise the acid and redeposit minerals onto
the tooth surfaces.
Consequences of frequent snacking
If
one snacks frequently, there will be continuous production
of acid by plaque bacteria and insufficient time
for the saliva to neutralize the acid. This will
result
in
persistent
acidic environment which favours the development
of dental caries.
Therefore, even a small piece of biscuit or a sip of beverage is considered one snack, which will bring one more chance of getting dental caries.
