How Your Lifestyle Can Damage Your Oral Health

Study after study has flagged up smoking, poor diet and excess alcohol consumption as problematic to many areas of health – and oral health can certainly be added to the list. Within that trinity of red flags for health are contained a multitude of problems for oral health.

Your mouth is the start of your respiratory system and your digestive tract. So while we might think of it as a separate system, it’s actually closely linked to your wider health.

If you want to improve your oral health, there are steps you can take that would also support your overall health. Being aware of how simple lifestyle choices are impacting your wider health and your oral health can help you to make positive changes in your life.

Let’s look at the main lifestyle factors impacting your oral health in more detail:

Poor diet

Guidance on diet seems to change all the time, which can make it difficult to know if you’re making the right choices. If you are concerned with oral health, one of the best steps you can take would be to reduce sugar in your diet.

Sugar is bad news for teeth. It clings to the surface of your teeth and feeds the bad bacteria that is responsible for attacking the enamel on your teeth. Enamel is essential to protect against tooth decay. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so it’s vital that you take steps to protect your enamel health.

Cutting back on sugar and avoiding snacking on sugary foods will help to avoid decay. It’s not just about what you eat but also when you eat it. Snacking between meals is one of the worst things you can do, as you will not produce enough saliva. By sticking to three meals a day and reducing snacks, you’ll reduce your exposure to harmful sugar and bacteria.

You can also make healthier changes and reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Be wary about hidden sugar. Often, if a product is marked as low fat, then it will be high in sugar. There are also lots of supposedly “healthy” choices that are packed with sugar. Examples include smoothies, granola and low fat yoghurt.

Smoking

Not only does smoking cause unsightly discolouration of the teeth, it is also linked to some very serious conditions. Smoking is a major cause of periodontal disease, which if left untreated can cause irreparable damage to your gums. Left untreated, this will eventually lead to tooth loss.

Smoking creates the ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive in your mouth. It also leads to dry mouth, which makes bacteria growth more likely, as you won’t have the saliva production to help flush out bacteria.

Stopping smoking is the first step towards improved oral health. You can then adopt a good oral hygiene routine, with the support of a dental hygienist, to help reverse some of the damage already done. This can help to keep gum disease under control.

Oral cancers such as mouth cancer and throat cancer are all heavily linked to smoking, which it is estimated is responsible for 65 percent of cases.

Alcohol

The chances of developing oral cancers are also higher for people who drink alcohol, with research showing that 30 percent of mouth and oropharyngeal cancers were attributed to alcohol use. Together smoking, alcohol and infections are to blame for 91 percent of oral cancer.

Drinking alcohol can also cause damage to tooth enamel adding to the possibility of decay. Excessive drinking can expose your teeth to high sugar content beverages, which can increase your risk of tooth decay.

Drinking can also get in the way of taking care of your teeth, as you might be more likely to skip brushing your teeth if you are drunk. And brushing your teeth after drinking things like wine or sugary cocktails can contribute to enamel erosion.

And finally, drinking can also contribute to dehydration, which can increase your risk of enamel damage and tooth decay.

The good news is that sticking to government drinking guidelines and living well – including enjoying a diet rich in fruit and vegetables – could help to cut your risk.

How to make better lifestyle choices for your oral health

The first step is to check if your lifestyle choices have already had an impact on your health. A dental checkup will help you to see how your choices are impacting your health. You can then book a hygiene appointment to help reverse some of the damage done and set yourself on the right path.

Rather than trying to change everything at once, focus on making small and sustainable changes. Examples could include:

- Switching fizzy drinks for water

- Stop snacking between meals

- Limiting alcohol to the weekend

- Sticking to government guidelines for daily alcohol intake

- Cooking meals from scratch and avoiding takeaways or ready meals

- Take steps to quit smoking

Investing in your oral health can often help you to make better choices. We find that patients who pay for treatments such as teeth whitening are more likely to take good care of their teeth. Once you’ve paid for a treatment to improve your smile, you’ll want to do everything to help keep your smile looking beautiful.

If you have any worries about your oral health, please contact Bhandal Dental Surgery for help and support. We can help you to recognise the ways your oral health is impacted by your lifestyle choices and support you in making better choices for your long-term health.