Nutritional therapist, Nina Farmer, states that the value of a diary lies less in what patients eat than in when and how often they eat it. Recording both timing and frequency reveals the patterns that drive disease, from constant snacking to a steady drip of sugary drinks and acidic foods throughout the day. Once those habits are visible on paper, she says, clinicians can offer genuinely tailored, evidence-based advice and patients can see for themselves how their routine is shaping their oral health.
As mentioned in Dentistry, some foods can help to support the oral cavity. For example, calcium and phosphate in dairy supports remineralisation, fibrous foods stimulate the saliva that buffers acid, and nutrient-rich foods feed the immune system and the body’s inflammatory pathways, each of which strengthen healing and the host response. Farmer argues that the aim is to spot what already supports health and build on it, not simply to identify what causes harm.
Farmer specifically warns that the tool must be handled with care. Within the frame of a dental appointment, advice is inevitably broad, and she warns teams against anything that could encourage disordered eating. Her own rule that she follows is never to take foods away, but to look at what can be added or adjusted to lower risk. Keeping sugary foods to mealtimes, she suggests, is a classic example.
Her practical guidance is to gain informed consent with understanding rather than judgement and to ask patients to track three days including one at the weekend. Reviews should focus on patterns over perfection, avoiding labels such as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. Throughout, she also advises watching for red flags such as anxiety or restrictive behaviour.
Concerns about disordered eating should always be referred to the patient’s doctor, while practitioners can be found through directories such as the ‘find a practitioner’ search run by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT).
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