Eat your way to strong, healthy teeth!
We learn early on how important good oral hygiene is for healthy teeth. Brushing with all kinds of brushes and toothpastes, flossing, toothpicks, gargling with mouthwash and even chewing gum to look after your teeth: the choice is huge! But which foods and habits also matter if you want to keep your bright smile for as long as possible?
Tooth development
A person's milk teeth are already formed in the 4th month of pregnancy. They usually come through in the first 2 years of a child's life, after which they are replaced, until about the age of 12, by the permanent adult set of 32 teeth. Wisdom teeth are the last to break through, if they are present and there is room in the jawbone.
The term wisdom tooth comes from 'dens sapientiae', or 'tooth of wisdom'. After all, these molars only come through from the age of about 18, when a person is considered older and wiser. Today more and more people are born without wisdom teeth, as our jaws have become narrower under the influence of evolution and changes in our diet (more on this later). For a long time, the general consensus in dentistry was that wisdom teeth were better removed preventively and in good time. The aim was to prevent these large molars from taking root and pushing the other teeth out of position, with possible inflammation and crooked teeth as a result. Nowadays, however, more and more dentists take a holistic view and leave wisdom teeth in place until extraction becomes necessary, preferably only removing them after the age of 21 so that the adult body can cope well with the impact of the procedure.
The chelation theory
When people talk about the cause of tooth decay, an imbalance of bacteria or too much sugar is usually blamed. But are bacteria and sweets simply the only culprits, or does it go deeper?
As early as 1920 it was shown that a lack of vitamin C and minerals in the diet underlies the development of caries. An alternative theory that is gaining more and more followers among holistic dentists is the chelation theory. It describes how the natural process in which the parotid gland secretes a mineral-rich fluid (which protects the teeth) during chewing works less well, or not at all, when sugary products are consumed. On the contrary: with sugary food, the hypothalamus signals the parotid gland to produce less of this fluid, so the teeth miss out on this mineral protection.
On top of this loss of minerals, eating sugary products causes a short spike and drop in blood sugar. These fluctuations also affect the mineral content of our blood, which fluctuates along with it. When the body notices this, it can try to restore the blood sugar balance by drawing calcium from the teeth. The more often sugar is eaten, the more often blood sugar spikes and the more calcium the teeth lose. And when the teeth weaken through a lack of minerals, bacteria have free rein. So not eating too much sugar is better for your teeth in more than one way. The bacteria that are present can of course also be tackled with good dental care.
Oil pulling and other cultural differences in dental care
Brushing at least twice a day with toothpaste and flossing are firmly rooted in Western culture and are taught from childhood. But around the world there are many other ways to keep teeth in good condition.
- In several African and Islamic countries, a twig of the Salvadora persica tree is frayed and its fibrous inside is rubbed over the teeth and tongue. This natural toothbrush is called 'Siwak'. These twigs are naturally rich in fluoride and give the user fresh breath.
- Not every culture values a white smile as a beauty ideal to the same degree. Nomadic Somalis do value healthy, white teeth, but lacking the whitening products familiar in Western culture, these travelling tribes rub their teeth with ash and charcoal from cooled campfires.
- Traditional Chinese medicine describes toothache as a sign of an imbalance in the Qi of the kidneys. This imbalance is preferably treated with acupuncture, acupressure or herbal compresses. At the same time, losing teeth is seen as a natural part of ageing, and a toothless mouth is nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary: it is believed that an older family member with teeth brings bad luck to the younger generation.
- Years ago, a tooth-cleaning technique from India found its way to the Western world: oil pulling. Oil pulling means rinsing the mouth with a cold oil such as coconut or sesame oil. For about 15 minutes the oil is pushed and sucked through the teeth and moved around the mouth so that it can saponify, after which it is spat out. The effectiveness of this Ayurvedic technique is attributed to certain antimicrobial properties of suitable oils such as coconut oil, and also to the way rinsing with oil can remove the bacterial biofilm and with it the unwanted bacteria themselves.
The microbiome of your mouth
Our gut contains the largest and most diverse microbiome in our body, but the microbiome of the mouth is a close second. On the hard surfaces of the teeth and palate as well as the softer tissue of the tongue and mucous membranes lives an enormous variety of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses, whose balance is as unique and personal as a fingerprint. This oral flora is usually called the oral microbiome.
Just as the balance of your gut flora is one of the foundations of a normally functioning body, the same applies to the balance of the oral microbiome. An imbalance can lead to various problems such as tooth decay and gum inflammation, and research shows that more systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease can also result from it. Oral hygiene matters here, but the step before it deserves more attention as the absolute foundation: nutrition.
Although a regular oral hygiene routine is important for healthy teeth, some research findings add a caveat to the use of products that freshen the breath. In one study, athletes gargled with mouthwash or chewed gum two hours after an intensive workout, and a clear difference in blood pressure was observed compared with a workout without them. When mouthwash or gum was used after training, the usual drop in blood pressure after physical exertion did not occur; instead systolic blood pressure dropped less or even rose slightly. Higher nitrate and lactate levels were also measured in the saliva, which is linked to higher blood pressure. A shame if your fresh breath after exercise undid part of the positive effects!
Feed your teeth
A solid basis of regular exercise, sleep, sunlight on unprotected skin and a balanced diet is the foundation for a well-functioning body overall. Which parts of the diet play a role in healthy teeth?
- Drinking enough water comes first. It promotes saliva production, and saliva is essential for a good oral microbiome and for the start of digestion.
- Vitamin C contributes to strong teeth. You can get it from vegetables, fruit and organ meat, but you can also make sure you get enough vitamin C by supplementing it.
- Keeping refined sugars to a minimum can have a positive effect on the balance of your oral flora, just as it does on your gut flora. The 'good' bacteria prefer fiber-rich food, while the 'bad' bacteria thrive on sugary food. Sugars are also converted in the mouth into acids that attack tooth enamel.
- Several scientific studies point to the positive properties of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. One conclusion of such a study was that omega-3 may have the potential to lower the bleeding index (an indicator of the degree of inflammation in gum disease). We generally get enough omega-6 fatty acids from our diet; for omega-3 we have to make a little more effort. Omega-3 fatty acids are found mainly in oily fish, cod liver oil, algae, krill, green leafy vegetables and nuts.
Besides the properties of the fatty acids themselves, fat as a nutrient is essential for transporting the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K (which in turn are needed for the absorption of minerals in our body). The standard Western diet is generally richer in carbohydrates and refined products than in the fat-rich, unprocessed diet of our ancestors. The North American dentist Weston A. Price noticed this too during his research between 1920 and 1930 into the diets of different cultures in relation to dental health.
Weston Price
There is a lot to say about Weston A. Price's view of dental problems and the other health problems that follow from them. In short, this dentist noticed that many of his patients suffered from caries, crooked teeth and other dental problems at a young age, and wondered how it was that precisely the indigenous peoples who did not follow the North American diet dominated by processed food had such beautifully straight and strong teeth. When these peoples switched to modern processed food, Price observed that the same dental and health problems he saw in his patients soon appeared. Within one generation crooked teeth also became visible because the jaws grew narrower, which he correlated with the Western diet.
What difference did Price find between the diet of his patients and the cultures that were free from tooth decay and diseases of affluence? The diet of these peoples was on average 10 times richer in fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. It consisted mainly of animal products in which the whole animal was used (meat and fish, but also organs, fat, skin and bones) and unprocessed vegetables and fruit. Fermented grains and nuts were eaten to a lesser extent.
It is no coincidence that, with today's knowledge, we see this way of eating returning more and more in modern society: simply eating the way nature intended. Eating enough fish, bones, organs and unprocessed vegetables and fruit to support not only your teeth but your general health, supplemented with a good oral hygiene routine, means you can enjoy your bright smile for as long as possible. And are you worried you are not getting enough of these nutrients? Then you can always supplement them, preferably as naturally as possible!
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