Weight Loss Diets And Potential Oral Health Issues

Is losing a few pounds around the waist worth risking your teeth and gums for?

It is fair to say that most of us are probably waiting for the sun to come out, at least on some sort of consistent basis. Several days of sunshine can indicate that spring and summer are on their way along with the warmth that hopefully comes with it. After months of thick padded clothing to keep warm, hopefully we will soon start to enjoy the sun again. For some people, even if they love the sun, this can trigger concerns about their bodies and especially their weight.

For many, the warmer weather means revealing the extra pounds we may have put on over the colder months. For some, this means hitting the gym, for others, it means the start of a weight loss diet.

Watching what we eat and eating more lightly isn’t necessarily a bad thing and can certainly have benefits for the overall health of our Ipswich patients. There are certain concerns though about the impact that some diets can have on our teeth and gums and we will look at these now.

Frequency of eating

In order to lose weight, some people cut down on larger and heavier meals and may even skip one or two of these. To keep up their energy levels, they may snack more often throughout the day. Even if these are healthy foods, this way of eating can be damaging to the teeth. When we eat anything, the enamel on our teeth softens a little for a while. This is usually not a problem as it starts to harden again straight afterwards. The problem comes when people are snacking regularly, not allowing time for the enamel to re-harden in between. When this happens, enamel erosion can occur, leading to sensitive teeth and increasing the likelihood of tooth decay – in turn potentially requiring restorative treatment at the Foxhall Dental Practice.

Nutritional intake

The food and drink we consume doesn’t just help to build muscles and give us energy but also contributes to our oral health as well. Some minerals and vitamins such as calcium and vitamin D are well known to be important for this purpose. The reality is though that a wide number of others help too, even if less acknowledged. Vitamin C is essential for healthy gums, Vitamin A is essential for healthy saliva which helps to keep our mouths healthy, and phosphorus helps the body to absorb calcium, one of the most important of these. A restrictive diet can lead to a deficiency and a decline in our oral health.

Acidic elements

Patients of the Foxhall Dental Practice who are hoping to eat more healthily and lose weight may well turn to fruit as a means of doing so. Fruit is good for us, without a doubt, but many fruits, such as oranges or lemons, are very acidic. Eating too many of these or following trends such as adding lemon juice or cider vinegar to water, sometimes in an attempt to ‘break down fat’, can be very problematic as this comes into contact with our teeth and is highly acidic.  As with frequent eating, this can lead to the wearing away of tooth enamel and a rise in sensitivity and decay.

Hidden sugars and ‘sugar free’

If you eat things like protein bars or ‘meal replacement’ bars, it is likely that you will be consuming more sugar than you think. These may not be listed as ‘sugar’ but natural sugars such as fructose and lactose might be used instead. These are still sugars though and are just as damaging to your teeth and gum health. Snacking on these could lead to quite a bit more sugar in your diet than you think.

It is also worth mentioning that things such as sugar free drinks often don’t get a free pass either. They may not contain sugar but especially with fizzy versions, can be damaging to tooth enamel as well due to their acidity. If you want to drink something that won’t add calories to your diet and is healthy, water is your best friend.

Hydration

On the subject of water, a restricted diet can lead to a loss of fluids from our bodies. In fact, for some people, this can be seen as a short term benefit as this can make it appear that we have lost weight. This is potentially dangerous to our general health as well as our oral health. From the perspective of the latter, dehydration can lead to gum disease and also decay due to a lack of saliva washing away food particles from our mouth. Drinking plenty of water is essential and any weight that is lost through restricting water usually comes back pretty quickly anyway.

Losing weight if you are overweight or obese is a positive thing for your health. ‘Fad diets’ are best avoided though and if you want to lose weight, do bear in mind the above advice and seek professional help to lose weight effectively but healthily.

For treatment of any of the issues mentioned above, or to arrange a check up appointment at our Ipswich dental clinic, please call us today on 01473 258396.