To a small percentage of people who have decided not to eat meat or any animal products, the idea of switching to all raw foods is appealing. These individuals not only want to avoid supporting the animal agriculture industry, they also like the concept of eating foods the way the earliest humans did, which means without cooking them. They believe they obtain substantially more nutrition from eating raw instead of cooked foods, and many say they feel much better in general while doing so. Unfortunately, a Family Dentist in Attleboro MA knows that people who eat a totally or primarily raw food diet are at increased risk of tooth decay.
Research has confirmed that tooth enamel erosion is about twice as prevalent in raw foodists than in a population eating a standard diet. The reason for this is unclear, but one theory involves the high consumption of fruit by these individuals. Most fruit is acidic and contains a relatively large amount of sugar in the form of fructose. In fact, some fruits, such as apples, have increasingly been bred for a higher sugar content than used to be the case. Food producers are simply responding to consumer demand when they do this. They’ve learned that sweeter apples sell better.
A Family Dentist in Attleboro MA will likely recommend rinsing the mouth with water after consuming fruit or fruit juice, since this can help remove the acid and sugar. Waiting about a half hour before brushing also is important since the acid weakens the enamel, and brushing can be hard on enamel until it recovers. In addition, tooth enamel can be weakened by too-frequent and overly vigorous brushing, so that’s not the answer.
Another possibility of the increased tooth decay in raw foodists is the effect of nuts and dried fruit that can easily become stuck between teeth. Flossing teeth at least every day is essential to remove those substances. Seeing a dentist for regular professional teeth cleaning and checkups helps the raw food fan learn when oral hygiene behavior needs to be improved. A clinic such as Alpha Dental can help. Visit the website for information.
