March is National Nutrition Month, an opportunity to reflect on diet and its impact on overall health.
A powerful but often-overlooked contributor to diet’s effect on wellness is dental health.
“Sometimes we silo our health and think about nutrition in one place and dental health and overall wellness in other places,” said Dr. Laura Acosta, instructional associate professor in the UF/IFAS food science and human nutrition department. “But the truth is, they are all inextricably intertwined.”
Dr. Acosta, a dietitian, is among the few higher education nutrition instructors in the country who integrates dental health into her curriculum. In this Q&A, she explains the interconnectedness of food, dental health and overall wellness.
What oral diseases are commonly associated with poor nutrition?
Worldwide, about 3.5 billion people suffer from oral disease. The most common issues are tooth decay and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease affects the structures supporting the teeth, including bone, gums and ligaments, which leads to gum recession.
How can oral diseases cause poor nutrition and poor physical health?
Oral diseases cause pain and tooth loss over time, which make it more difficult to eat and chew efficiently. This potentially leads to decreased nutritional intake and increased risk of malnutrition. Also, chronic infections in the mouth contribute to systemic, or body-wide, inflammation, which can cause protein and muscle breakdown, further limiting chewing efficiency. A common response is to reach for easy-to-chew, but not necessarily healthy, foods. It becomes a vicious cycle.
How are oral disease and chronic health conditions connected?
There is a consistent pattern showing the prevalence of certain pathogenic, or disease-causing, bacteria in the mouths of people with major chronic conditions. Topping the list is Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacteria most ubiquitously associated with periodontal disease.
Individuals with periodontal disease are about twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease, about 2.5 times more likely to develop cancer and about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Their risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is 28% greater, and they are 65% more likely to have sleep apnea. Whether these conditions make individuals more susceptible to periodontal disease or whether periodontal disease increases the risk of these conditions is something we’re trying to tease out in the science. But the association does exist, and these are staggering statistics.
What foods and drinks should be avoided?
Starchy, refined carbs like those found in bread, pasta, French fries, crackers, pizza and sugary foods stick to teeth and promote a microbial imbalance and even pathogenic bacteria. And acidic and sugary drinks like fruit juice, coffee and soda degrade tooth enamel and support cavity-causing bacteria.
What foods and drinks are beneficial for dental health?
Consider food reminiscent of the Mediterranean diet: whole, minimally processed items with anti-inflammatory effects. That includes fresh fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants and polyphenols or plant compounds, and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fatty fish.
But snacking on even healthy foods throughout the day should be avoided because some otherwise smart choices like fruit expose teeth to acid and sugar. Strategize and concentrate beneficial citrus and berries during meals to limit exposure.
Green tea contains a dietary compound called Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant with antimicrobial properties. EGCG has been shown to slow down and even prevent recession. It could be an additional tool in the arsenal against oral disease.
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