Nutrionists Shed Light on Six Dental Myths

A new article reveals important relationships between nutrition, oral health issues, and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and immune-compromising conditions.

Researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM; Boston, MA, USA) also debunked several common dental myths and outlined how diet and nutrition affects oral health in children, teenagers, expectant mothers, adults, and the elderly.

Myth 1: The consequences of poor oral health are restricted to the mouth.

Poor nutrition during pregnancy may make the unborn child more likely to have tooth decay later in life; deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, protein, and calories could result in oral defects. Some data also suggest that lack of adequate vitamin B6 or B12 could be a risk factor for cleft lip and cleft palate formation. In children, tooth decay is the most prevalent disease, and leads to poor nutrition; oral complications combined with poor diet can also contribute to cognitive and growth problems and can contribute to obesity.

Myth 2: More sugar means more tooth decay

It is not the amount of sugar consumed but the amount of time that the sugar has contact with the teeth that leads to decay, as the teeth are exposed to the acids formed by oral bacteria from the sugars. Some research shows that teenagers today obtain about 40% of their carbohydrate intake from soft drinks, increasing the risk of tooth decay. Moreover, while sugar-free carbonated drinks and acidic beverages (such as lemonade) are often considered safer for teeth than sugared beverages, they can also contribute to demineralization of tooth enamel if consumed regularly.

Myth 3: Losing baby teeth to tooth decay is acceptable

It is a common myth that losing baby teeth due to tooth decay is insignificant because baby teeth fall out anyway. However, if baby teeth are lost prematurely, the permanent teeth may erupt mal-positioned and require orthodontics later on.

Myth 4: Osteoporosis only affects the spine and hip

Teeth are held in the jaw by alveolar and cortical bone, which can also be affected by osteoporosis, often the consequence of a diet lacking essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamins D and K.

Myth 5: Dentures improve a person's diet

When dentures do not fit well, older adults are apt to eat foods that are easier to chew and are low in nutritional quality, such as cakes or pastries.

Myth 6: Dental decay is only a young person's problem

In adults and elders, receding gums due to periodontal disease can also result in eventual root decay, since commonly used drugs such as antidepressants, diuretics, antihistamines, and sedatives also increase the risk of tooth decay by reducing saliva production. Adults and elders are also more likely to have chronic health conditions, like diabetes, which are risk factors for periodontal disease; the reverse is also true, since periodontal disease exacerbates diabetes mellitus.

"Health care professionals should help their patients by asking patients about oral health concerns and referring patients for dental consults when indicated. Promoting good oral health as well as good nutrition is essential to optimal overall health status,” concluded lead author
Carole Palmer, Ed.D., R.D., L.D.N., and colleagues of the TUSDM division of nutrition and oral health promotion, in an article published in the July-August 2010 issue of Nutrition Today.

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Tufts University School of Dental Medicine