The food we eat and our oral health are interconnected. From before birth, and from the cradle to the grave, nutrition plays a role in determining the oral health of an individual. Oral health also has an impact on food intake at all ages. Infants can only consume soft food before their teeth develop and enable variety. This is also true for adults who have lost their teeth or are suffering from severe oral health problems.
This article discusses how nutrition and oral health are related, and what should and should not be done to maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy body.
What dental professionals can tell you about nutrition and oral health 1 2
Here are some things your dentist or dental hygienist may tell you about nutrition, if you take the time to ask.
According to a paper published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization "diet plays an important role in preventing oral diseases including dental caries, dental erosion, developmental defects, oral mucosal diseases and, to a lesser extent, periodontal disease". The paper by, Paula J. Moynihan of the School of Dental Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne in England summarizes the evidence for an association between diet, nutrition and oral diseases.3
Poor nutrition increases the harm from oral and dental diseases. Poor nutrition is also linked to developmental defects of the enamel, increasing likelihood of dental caries.
A balanced diet benefits oral health by strengthening immunity. Michael P. Rethman, DDS, MS, a former president of the American Academy of Periodontology is quoted on perio.org, the website of the AAP: