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A tooth-friendly diet

Not only what, but how often.

What can a tooth-friendly diet achieve? A great deal, because the intake of sugar and acids through food plays a decisive part in the development of caries. If poor oral hygiene is added to that, the lasting health of teeth and gums is in a bad way

Try to eat fresh food often – food that is not too soft and has to be chewed properly. That keeps the teeth healthy and supports their self-cleaning, because it stimulates the flow of saliva

Eating and drinking – not always a pleasure for the teeth

When a lot is eaten and drunk, the risk to the teeth rises too: too much that is sweet and too much that is sour is a combination our teeth do not care for at all

All the more pleased are the billions of tiny creatures in our mouth. Bacteria that live on sugar and multiply at great speed when food is plentiful. And some of these necessary guests in our mouth can also do damage. As they process the sugar, bacteria produce acid that decalcifies and eats away at the enamel. Anyone who watches this for too long without acting risks painful holes. But that is not all: bacteria form deposits, known as plaque. If these are not removed, a vicious circle begins that may well end in the loss of teeth. Harmful bacteria trigger inflammation that can reach the supporting structures of the teeth and attack the jawbone. To fight this inflammation the body sends out substances that can in turn serve as food for bacteria – precisely those that cause periodontitis

Drinks such as fruit juices, wine or cola are also loaded – with acids that attack the enamel. But of course that does not mean giving up all these pleasures

Advice on diet and on oral hygiene are directly connected. Food and drink affect oral health immediately. Although sugar is enemy number one of our teeth, a tooth-conscious diet does not mean having to give up sugar entirely. What matters is a conscious handling of the dangers to our teeth. Sticky foods, sugar and acids begin their harmful work in the mouth at once. The damaging effect of sugar-sweetened drinks and of acidic or fruit-acid drinks, as well as citrus fruit, is often underestimated. Diet affects dental health. As a rule the pH value in the mouth lies between 7 and 6 (neutral or very slightly acidic). Sugary food and drink lead to the production of acid that can attack the enamel. After consuming drinks containing fruit acid, the teeth should not be cleaned straight away. Saliva needs about an hour to bring the pH value back to normal. It makes more sense to clean the teeth only after that

Vitamins and minerals for healthy teeth. Vitamin C supports the immune system and also keeps the gums healthy. Vitamin D promotes the formation of teeth and bone. Fluorides harden the tooth substance and make the teeth more resistant to caries

Answered briefly

Frequently asked questions

Avoid snacking too often between meals. Sugar taken regularly, and the long exposure that goes with it, keeps supplying the bacteria with fresh food. Clean teeth and tongue regularly and do not forget the spaces between the teeth. Drinking mineral water more often helps to avoid damage too, through the dilution effect, as does the use of fluoride-containing foods and toothpastes.
After strongly acidic drinks, drink clear water afterwards and rinse your teeth. Wait at least half an hour before brushing, so as not to brush away the enamel the acid has softened. Pure xylitol chewing gum is also worth recommending: over some 30 minutes it neutralises the acid attack by means of the body's own saliva.
What counts is not the amount at one time but how often. Every time sugar enters the mouth, the pH falls into the critical range for about half an hour. Ten small snacks are therefore more harmful than one slice of cake.