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Fruity diet may damage teeth, says dentist
24th Mar 2009
A top cosmetic has warned that a ‘five-a-day' healthy diet may be ruining our teeth.
Dr Rahul Doshi, at The Perfect Smile Studios & Academy in Hertfordshire, has warned that in a bid to get healthy and stick to the healthy eating regime many of us maybe neglecting our teeth.
He said: ‘In recent years we have been bombarded with press urging us to eat more fruit, and of course for our general health this is a positive thing, but such foods have massive implications for oral health.
‘Other seemingly “healthy” things we consume, such as antacids for example, cause severe damage to teeth.'
Heartburn tablets, breath mints, throat lozenges and cough drops all contain high levels of sugar which can cause problems such as cavities.
On packaging these products may simply state sucrose or dextrose, or even corn syrup, all of which are essentially sugar.
Dr Doshi's academy, which specialises in cosmetic dentistry, sees a large number of patients suffering from cavities.
He says that when exposed to sugars the natural bacteria in the mouth produces an acid which eats through tooth enamel, and while a medicinal lozenge may only stay in the mouth for a few minutes, these eroding effects last a lot longer.
The Perfect Smile Academy has won awards for its cosmetic dentistry services in London and has even featured on ITV's This Morning show and Living TV's Extreme Makeover programme.
They also specialise in teeth whitening, dental implants and porcelain veneers.
They advise people to choose a sugar-free version of these products, and to limit the amount consumed in a day.
British Dental Health Foundation chief executive Dr Nigel Carter commented: 'It is important for dentists to encourage a healthy balanced diet consisting of all five food groups. Five portions a day or fruit and vegetables confer important protective effects against many conditions including cancer and mouth cancer.
'The important message with regard to consumption of sugar containing foods including some fruits is that of frequency. We have turned from three square meals a day to seven to ten snack attacks and this simply does not give the teeth time to recover from the acid produced when sugar in foods meets the bacteria in dental plaque. Trying to confine sugary foods to mealtimes and using sugar free alternatives will help reduce decay.'
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