…However, new research suggests diet’s influence on oral health goes far beyond what patients avoid, and actually depends on what they eat just as much.
Protecting a community
The mouth holds more than 700 species of bacteria, along with viruses and fungi, collectively known as the oral microbiome. Harmful species such as Streptococcus mutans feed on sugar and produce the acids that erode enamel and cause cavities, while beneficial species compete for space and can attack the bacteria that cause decay.
Associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Pennsylvania State University, Laura Weyrich, explains that: “Within the broader family of these sugar loving microbes, Streptococcus, there are some [bacteria] that don’t produce much acid at all, and they’ll actually attack some of the microbes that do produce acid. They’re like freedom fighters – they have their own antibiotics that they use as weapons. So, if you have these bacteria then you’re going to be in good shape.”
What to eat for balance
Diet plays a major role in essentially determining which bacteria thrive, and which do not.
Christine Wu, professor of paediatric dentistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago, has researched the effect closely stating that the “the polyphenols inhibit one of the enzymes that is responsible for the stickiness of the plaque.” Wu’s study also found that drinking tea appeared to inhibit the bacteria responsible for bad breath – these live at the back of the tongue.
Wu continues, explaining that: “cheese is awesome because it has all the good properties of milk, but it is solid, so when you chew it the saliva increases. The saliva will get rid of some of the extra sugar on the tooth or in the mouth, and because saliva is neutral it buffers the acid that’s produced in the mouth.”
Consistency over superfoods
Gaetano Isola, associate professor of periodontology at the University of Catania, explains that “if we repeatedly consume refined sugars and easily fermentable carbohydrates, we favour microorganisms that are particularly efficient at producing and tolerating acids,” he says. He states that this can shift the microbial community towards an imbalance over time and warns against looking for a single fix: “An overall diet richer in whole plant foods, fibre and complex carbohydrates and lower in frequent refined sugar exposure is more compatible with maintaining a stable oral ecosystem.”
A recent UK study he contributed to found that patients with low adherence to a Mediterranean style diet, and those who ate red meat frequently, tended to have more severe gum disease.
Building better habits
Brushing and flossing remain essential, but the evidence is clear that the food patients are consuming matters just as much. A varied, plant-rich diet paired with good oral hygiene gives the whole microbial community – rather than solely the dentition – the best chance of staying in balance.
>Since you’re here, why not read about a surprising new treatment for severe periodontitis – omega-3 and aspirin.
Main image credit: Unsplash
