Veganuary – Good Or Bad For Your Teeth?

Diet can affect the health of our teeth and gums. We examine how the trend towards a more plant based diet might affect this

Although Veganuary, the month where people are asked to go vegetarian or vegan, is nearly over, there will be many who will become vegetarian/vegan as the year goes by.

Most of us will know someone who has banished meat from their diet, whether for health, ethical or ecological reasons.

As we are urged to move towards a plant based diet for a variety of reason, we thought that it would be useful to take a look at how this might affect our teeth and gums.

There is a lot of evidence that a plant based diet, if well balanced, can be beneficial for our general overall health, but this research often ignores dental issues that can arise. Most of these can be counteracted if the person in question adjusts their diet accordingly. It is important to remember though, that whether you eat meat or not, regular oral health checks by one of our local Canterbury dentists is essential to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Essential minerals and vitamins

Minerals and vitamins are part of the building blocks that contribute to a healthy body.  Some of these also impact the harder structures of the body which not only include our bones, but also our teeth. Two of these; Vitamin D and calcium are especially important and anyone lacking in  these may have weaker bones but also less well protected and weaker teeth too.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the retention of both phosphorus and calcium. This is important, from a dental perspective, as it helps the remineralisation of the teeth. If this is somewhat lacking, the teeth will weaken and you will be more vulnerable to issues such as decay, fractures and other damage.

Calcium

A lack of calcium can cause similar problems to those mentioned above. It can also lead to weak tooth roots, gum irritation and brittle teeth.

Although these are both present in a vegetarian diet, you will need to make sure that you are getting enough of them. This can be done by supplements and/or fortified products but also by ensuring you have a healthy diet. The best source for more information on this is to visit the websites of the Vegetarian Society and the Vegan Society. Vitamin D deficiency especially, is quite common in the UK due to a lack of sunlight. Do try to get outside as much as you can as this will help and is also probably good for your mental wellbeing.

Acidic foods

Another possible issue, especially for those following these dietary regimes for health reasons, is the risk of a diet high in acidic food and drinks, which often come in the form of fruits and fruit drinks. An increase in acidity can lead to erosion of the protective enamel part of the tooth. Once this is compromised, tooth decay and root canal infections are more likely to occur. This problem isn’t exclusive to vegetarians and vegans though, and we see many patients at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic who eat meat and also have this issue. This is more likely to be due to a high sugar diet however, and vegetarians and vegans are equally susceptible to this.

The ‘natural’ lifestyle

Not all, but some vegetarians and vegans follow this diet in order to live a more ‘natural’ lifestyle. This can expand into other areas too, including the clothes that they wear etc. One area where this can be a real problem from a dental perspective, is in the type of toothpaste that is used. There are many ‘natural’ toothpastes available and not all of these are bad. There are a number of misconceptions though, about one ingredient that is often left out of ‘natural’ toothpastes, and that is fluoride.

Fluoride is absolutely essential to help you maintain strong tooth enamel and without it, you will be much more vulnerable to tooth decay and similar problems. This appears to be a problem especially in vegans who are perhaps less likely to ‘compromise’ their ethics and often end up with a higher incidence of tooth decay, largely caused by their avoidance of fluoride.

If you are thinking of giving up meat, then do make sure that you are getting the nutrients that you need. A general rule is to eat a wide variety of foods and not narrow down your choices too much. Read up on the available literature too as this will help you discover important sources.

It goes without saying too, that good general oral care, as mentioned many times previously, is essential if you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Make sure too that you see a dentist, and also a hygienist, at our Canterbury dental clinic every six months.

If you would like more advice on this topic or would like to make an appointment with us, please call Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic on 01227 463529.