From drinking juice to only eating raw or carb-free foods, there are countless fad diets that have come and gone in mainstream media. Although you may see them everywhere, from your social media feeds to specifically branded products in the grocery store, there are plenty of reasons to think twice before starting a fad diet. Among those reasons is because you don’t know how changing your diet will impact your oral health. Read on to learn the risks that starting a fad diet can pose to your dental health.
Juice/Liquid Diet
Today, more people than ever are starting to replace full meals with juices throughout the day, and while drinking your weight in celery and carrot juice may sound like a good way to start your morning, that may not be true for your smile. Whenever you chew your food, your body produces saliva, which contains enzymes that help break down carbohydrates into less complex molecules for your cells to use for energy, as well as neutralize acids and clear away debris from your teeth.
This initial part of the digestive process, known as mechanical digestion, is also important for your teeth! By neutralizing acid, your mouth is able to minimize enamel erosion, which can put you at a higher risk of developing dental concerns like cavities. It’s also been shown that juicing vegetables actually removes some key nutrients from the fresh fruits and vegetables you’re consuming, making it a good idea to just eat that celery and carrot instead!
Keto Diet
The keto diet has been persistently pushed by countless health influencers and companies as a way for everyone to shed weight, but the reality is that this high-fat, low-carb diet can have implications on not just your health, but also your dental hygiene. One of the most common, yet unexpected, dental issues that arises for people who participate in this diet is what’s called “keto breath.” As a result of your body switching to using fat as its main fuel source instead of carbs, your breath can develop a metallic-like odor that can’t be cured with brushing or flossing.
Raw Food Diet
Lastly, eating only natural, raw foods has also been a highly popular fad diet method. This involves eating any type of food that doesn’t need to be heated up, with the thought behind it being that heating foods can destroy some of the nutrients it has to offer. While this can be true for some foods, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not the case for every type of food. While there’s no denying that raw foods are an important part of a balanced diet, these foods can be harder in texture, risking a broken tooth, and also high in sugar, so you’ll want to keep that in mind!
While new fad diets will continue to emerge, it’s always a good idea to talk with your primary care physician before diving in head-first to it. You’ll also want to be mindful of the ways in which these diets can impact your oral health. You may be surprised to learn that they’re more trouble than they’re worth!
About the Practice
At Holt Family Dentistry, our team is led by two highly skilled and compassionate dentists, Dr. Gordon-Holt and Dr. Shah. With combined decades of experience under their belts and a commitment to providing science-based, comprehensive dentistry to everyone in the family, Holt Family Dentistry is known as the dental home for hundreds of patients throughout Charlotte and Ballantyne. To schedule an appointment, visit our website or call 704-504-2325.