DIETERS: YOU COULD BE DAMAGING
YOUR DENTAL HEALTH
PARSIPPANY, NJ – 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."
Delta
Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s
and Connecticut's leading dental benefits
carrier, providing coverage to more than
one million people through contracts with
employers in New Jersey and Connecticut.
The Delta Dental Plan system is a national
network of independently operated, not-for-profit
dental service corporations specializing
in providing dental benefits programs for
employee groups throughout the country. For
more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.
