Oral health and nutrition What you eat has an impact on your entire body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toe! The foods you eat and how frequently you eat them influence your immunity, mood, and, of course, your oral health and gums. You may be at risk for tooth decay if you consume too many sugary sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, or non-nutritious snacks.
Minerals like calcium and phosphorus contribute to dental health by protecting and rebuilding tooth enamel. Enamel is the hard outer protective layer of the tooth. Eating foods high in calcium and other nutrients such as cheese, milk, plain yogurt, calcium-fortified tofu, leafy greens, and almonds may help tooth health. While protein-rich foods like meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs are great sources of phosphorus.
Water is the clear winner as the best drink for your teeth—particularly fluoridated water. It helps keep your mouth clean and helps fight dry mouth. Fluoride is needed regularly throughout life to protect teeth against tooth decay. Drinking water with fluoride is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to help prevent cavities.
While it may appear that oral diseases only affect the mouth, their consequences can affect the rest of the body as well. There is a proven relationship between oral and general health. Many health conditions may increase the risk of oral diseases, and poor oral health can negatively affect many general health conditions and the management of those conditions. Most oral diseases share common risk factors with chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases etc.
Anxiety and stress. Stress is a normal human reaction that everyone experiences at one point or another. However, stress that is left unchecked can contribute to many health problems including oral health issues. While behavioral changes play a leading role in these poor oral health findings, there are certain physiological effects on the body as well. Stress creates a hormone in the body called cortisol. Spikes in this hormone can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to developing periodontal disease