Impact of Diet on Oral Health - Why Nutrition Matters

You constantly hear about diet and what needs to be eaten to achieve an ideal weight and optimum energy levels. You might find yourself counting macros, tracking calories or monitoring your vitamin intake from food. Yet so few of us consider the impact of diet on our oral health, and which particular diet is good for our oral health.

Diet and oral health go hand-in-hand. Simply avoiding sweet treats to help prevent cavities is not enough. What you put on your plate and how often you eat it is important for your mouth, too. So, here's what you need to know about the impact of nutrition and diet on your oral health.

To understand the impact of nutrition and diet on oral health, it's important to look at bacteria.

Your mouth is home to billions of bacteria. Most of these are harmless, but some are opportunistic. When you eat, you're also feeding the bacteria in your mouth. Certain bacteria thrive on sugars and starches. As they ferment the sugar and starch leftovers from your lunch, they produce acid. This is where the trouble begins.

This acid lowers the pH level of your mouth and attacks the hard, protective outer layer of your teeth (enamel) in a process called demineralisation.

Your saliva acts as a natural defence and fights back to repair this enamel. However, if you snack constantly or eat high amounts of sugar, the acid attacks happen faster than your saliva can repair them. This can leave your mouth vulnerable to lasting damage.

While hygiene habits play a significant role, the impact of diet on oral health is just as important to avoid dental issues.

Tooth decay

When you think about diet and oral health, tooth decay is often the first concern that comes to mind. But it isn't just about chocolate bars and fizzy pop. Other culprits are starchy carbs like crisps and white bread.

These foods start to break down into sticky sugars when you eat them, turning into a thick paste. For those with tight contacts or dental work, this paste lodges deep in the gingival embrasures (the small triangular gaps between teeth) where a toothbrush often misses.

If left sitting there, this hidden sugar fuels acid attacks that can quickly eat through to the dentin, causing cavities in places you can't see.

Acid erosion

You can have perfect oral hygiene and still suffer acid erosion. Unlike decay, this isn't caused by bacteria, but by acid attacking your enamel directly from a highly acidic diet.

Favourites like sparkling water, citrus fruits and fruit drinks are highly acidic. They soften the enamel surface, and over time, strip it away. This exposes the inner layer of the tooth, causing sensitivity and making your smile look yellow or translucent.

Expert Tip: Never brush immediately after eating acidic foods. You risk scrubbing away the softened enamel. Instead, rinse with water to neutralise your mouth and wait 30 minutes before brushing.

Gum disease

Your gums are the foundation for your teeth, and they're heavily impacted by nutrition.

If your diet lacks key nutrients, like vitamin C, or is high in inflammatory sugar, this impairs your body's ability to repair connective tissue, leading to gums that bleed easily. Without the right nutritional support, what starts as mild redness (gingivitis) and bleeding when flossing or brushing can escalate into periodontitis, compromising the very structures that hold your teeth in place