| Popular diet plans on the market
today may indeed help you to lose weight, but are you
jeopardizing the health of your teeth in the process?
Quite possibly. "Many
of the diet plans that are designed for weight loss are
deficient in the nutrients people need to maintain
healthy teeth," said Dr. Scott Navarro, Dental
Director, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey. "Dieters
may appear healthier when they lose weight, but they may
be damaging their teeth in the process."
Crash dieters, fad dieters and
those who fast are all at risk for dietary deficiencies
in certain vitamins and minerals, which can lead to
erosion of the tooth structure. Even healthy-seeming
vegetarian diets may lack vitamin D, vitamin B-12,
calcium and some proteins. Many dieters rely on diet
pills to curb their appetite, but these medications can
also decrease salivary flow, leading to tooth damage.
Saliva is key in preventing tooth decay as it
neutralizes the acids in plaque and washes the teeth.
Also, saliva may help with the remineralization of tooth
enamel. Fad diets that are high in fruit intake can also
damage teeth. Fruits often have a high content of
natural sugars, which can decay and erode tooth enamel.
Eating large quantities of these types of food can
damage teeth over time.
When simple dieting crosses over
to become an eating disorder, dental health is
especially at risk. Dieters who become bulimic, inducing
vomiting to lose weight, put their teeth at risk for
enamel erosion. Stomach acids produced during vomiting
pool in the mouth and settle on the teeth. Because of
this telltale enamel erosion, dentists are in a unique
position to identify a person suffering from bulimia.
"Anyone who is dieting to
lose weight should be extra cautious about their oral
health. They should be certain to supplement their diet
with multivitamins and drink lots of extra water,"
said Dr. Navarro. "Crash dieting or any other
'quick fix' diet plans should be avoided."
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