Can morning breakfast really affect your oral health….?
Few of us have the luxury of being able to start our day in a relaxed manner. For most of us, the day starts with the alarm clock (or the children) waking us up, dragging us, perhaps reluctantly, into the day ahead.
As our energy levels may be low in the morning, we quite naturally want to boost these by eating breakfast, but, given the lack of time often available once we have got the children ready for school, this can be a hastily put together affair.
Sugar boost
One of the most likely breakfast options is cereal. This should be a good healthy start to the day, however, most cereals, although not all, contain high levels of sugar, in addition to any that we may add ourselves.
This is probably washed down with a cup of tea or coffee which may also have sugar added to it.
As you can see, we are already starting to consume a sizeable amount of sugar, some of which will stick to our teeth, contributing to erosion of the enamel. This enamel is what protects the softer part of the teeth, and erosion can lead to sensitivity or even decay.
Education
It should be said that the above breakfast is perhaps not the worst available and those in a real rush may well opt for grabbing a chocolate bar and a can of fizzy drink to eat in the car on the way to work.
At Beau Monde Dental Care in Bristol, we don’t lecture our patients, but, when we see obvious signs of enamel erosion, it is our job not simply to repair any damage done, but to educate our patients about how to prevent the damage being done in the first place.
Unfortunately, whilst we can certainly help and guide, the ultimate responsibility falls with the patient. We simply hope that our guidance helps.
Even with little time in the morning, it is still possible to eat a healthy breakfast that will cause minimal damage to your teeth and will also offer more benefits than many high sugar breakfasts.
A healthy start
As mentioned before, cereals are healthy but do try to find a sugar free version. This can be sweetened by adding fruits although these do also contain sugars, it should be remembered.
Dairy products are good too as they help to strengthen teeth and bones. In fact, one good piece of advice is to finish your breakfast with a small amount of cheese. This has been shown to re-balance the acids in your mouth, making erosion less likely. But maybe that might be just a little too “continental” for most of our Bristol patients!
Eggs too are a healthy option and cause no damage to the teeth.
By avoiding high sugar foods for breakfast, you will certainly help to limit tooth decay and enamel erosion too.
So tooth friendly breakfasts, along with good general care of the teeth and gums, will increase your chances of having strong and healthy teeth for much longer.
If you would like advice on caring for your teeth and to arrange an oral examination at our Bristol dental practice, please call Beau Monde Dental Care on 0117 330 3495.