Don’t Let Your Weight Loss Goals Threaten Your Oral Health

It’s great to see you back at the blog from the office of Perrigo Dental Care, right here in Birmingham, AL. Keeping up with the latest information and ideas concerning oral health and modern dentistry is very important for those who want to stay healthy and to keep their natural teeth as long as possible. The health of your teeth and gums affects almost every aspect of your general health, so anyone who wants to feel great longer needs to take special care of their oral health.

With obesity at an all time high across the globe, weight loss is one health issue that is on everyone’s mind. And while weight loss is something that should be taken seriously, how and why you are seeking to lose weight is an important question. A balanced diet is essential for the overall well being of your body, and many of the fad diets that are popular these days are anything but balanced.

Any diet that mandates you restrict entire food groups in order to lose weight will put your oral health, and general health, at risk. Your body needs all sorts of nutrients, some of which may be dangerous in excess, like sugar for example. Diets that focus on removing these nutrients, rather than simply eating them in proper proportions, need to be avoided.

Here are some popular diets that are overly restrictive in their food choices, and as a result, could be a serious threat to your oral health:

The Juice Cleanse

One sure way to lose weight fast is to stop eating, and that is essentially what this diet will have you do. With the Juice Cleanse you must take all your meals in the form of juice, in some cases, it doesn’t even allow for fruit pulp. The problem with diet is that it is in no way feasible as a long term weight loss solution. It is just too restrictive to provide all the nutrients your body needs.

To be fair, this diet was never intended to be a permanent or long term weight loss plan. The idea is that it will jumpstart your metabolism to make weight loss easier with a more sensible diet. However, there is very little evidence to support this idea. And the risks posed by such a restrictive diet hardly seem worth it.

As far as your oral health is concerned, the juice cleanse will increase your chances of tooth decay and gum disease because it does not allow you to chew your food. The value inherent in chewing your food cannot be overstated. It stimulates your mouth’s production of saliva, which is one of the most important defenders against tooth decay.

Raw Foods Diet

This diet is another example of one that is just overly restrictive to be considered healthy for your teeth. The Raw Foods Diet dictates that you eat only those foods that can safely be eaten raw, which means you will be eating lots of fruit and vegetables. This may seem perfectly healthy on the surface, after there’s not much better for you than fruits and vegetables. The problem is that even healthy foods can be dangerous to your health if you eat them in excess and neglect to eat other foods to balance out your diet.

Fruits and vegetables obviously contain many vitamins and other nutrients that are good for you, but they also contain high levels of sugar and acid. These things are two of the biggest contributors to tooth decay and gum disease.

Small Meals Diet

Exactly as the name implies, this diet has you eating smaller meals, which sounds like a sensible weight plan based on calorie reduction. However, this diet isn’t necessarily about eating less on a whole, but about eating less more often. The Small Meals Diet means you eat several smaller meals throughout the day, which is not good for your teeth.

Every time you eat, your teeth become more susceptible to decay. Eating is actually a fairly traumatic event for your teeth and leaves your enamel soft and vulnerable. So every time you eat, you are exposing your teeth to the chance of decay. The more meals in a day, the more chances for decay.

Visit Perrigo Dental Care

Any change to your diet could cause problems for your oral health, so come to our Birmingham office to discuss any weight loss plans you are considering. We can help you meet your weight loss goals without ruining your smile.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment.