Do you want to get a comprehensive guide to raw food dental care? You’re in the right place!
Recently, I paid a visit to the dentist to have my regular check up.
I was curious to find out about my dental health after 7 years of living on a high fruit, mostly raw vegan lifestyle and if my raw food dental care routine was working or not.
Upon examination, the dentist revealed her verdict: “Your teeth are perfectly healthy! No cavities!”
Great! That’s all you want to hear when you visit the dentist.
So for the last 6 years on raw due to the way I eat and my very strict dental hygiene routine, I haven’t had a single cavity.
Here is a video about what 7 years on a raw food diet did to my teeth.
The Reason Why People Get Problems With Their Teeth On A Raw Food Diet.
Could it be that all that high quality nutrition which you get from eating fruits is undermined by all that fruit sugar that rots your teeth?
Most of us understand that people who eat lots of candy bars tend to have more problems with tooth cavities than those that eat more healthily.
The belief held by many people is that candy bars contain lots of sugar and lots of sugar equals lots of cavities. Period.
On a high fruit raw vegan diet sugar can come from various sources, such as:
- Fresh fruits (bananas, mangoes, etc.)
- Fruit juices
- Dried fruits
- Raw food “bars” and dehydrated treats
- Fruit smoothies
All of the above contain lots of sugar, yet it is not the sugar itself that is the real problem here.
When you eat a meal that contains sugars/carbohydrates,certain bacteria, such asmutans streptococcus that can live in your mouth, feed on these sugars/carbohydrates and produce acids as a by-product of their metabolism. (1)
These acids can weaken the enamel on your teeth and lead to dental cavities.
So, it’s not the sugars themselves that damage your teeth and lead to cavities.
Instead, it’s a certain type of bacteria that can be present in your mouth and which feeds on the sugar/carbohydrates that you eat.
Yes, you can eat your highly nutritious fruit meals, benefiting from the huge array of nutrients that they offer you AND avoid dental problems by using a proper dental hygiene routine.
Avoiding Dental Disasters
Unfortunately, eating the most nutrient rich and healthy diet on the planet – a fruit-based raw or high raw vegan one — does not mean you can escape the necessity of keeping your teeth clean.
Monkeys in nature have been observed flossing their teeth, so the idea that it is just humans that clean their teeth is not true.
Incorrect eating and a lack of raw food dental care is what causes many raw foodists to end up with dental problems.
Lots of people tend to graze and snack during the day vs eating 2-3 proper meals.
It is generally considered that eating fewer meals in the day is best for aiding proper dental health and a lot of this has to do with the bacteria in your mouth.
For example, if someone has three meals a day then they have just three periods when teeth destroying bacteria are given the green light to feed on all the food residues that stay on and around your teeth after a meal.
Top Raw Foods That Can Cause Dental Issues On A Raw Food Diet
Yes, some raw foods are worse for your teeth than others. Here is a list of popular raw foods you need to be cautious of:
- Dried Fruits. Typically dates are the dried fruit of choice that people eat on a raw vegan diet, due mainly to their calorie density. Just one medjool date packs in a whopping 60 calories! Now, that is great if you want to get some easy extra calories, but bits of dried date will typically stick to your teeth as if glued there. Lacking any moisture because they have been dried, they attach themselves to the first thing that they come into contact with and that is the surface of your teeth. To avoid this unwanted scenario always make sure to soak your dried fruits first, for at least a few hours or simply add them to a smoothie that you are making, such as a banana smoothie. If you can pre-soak them before adding them to a smoothie, that’s even better!
- Dehydrated foods (raw crackers, burgers, etc.) are just like dried fruits, notorious for sticking to your teeth and for the very same reason — a lack of water. If you are going to have dehydrated foods, then if you can have them together with other non-dehydrated foods then that will help them not stick to your teeth. Not eating dehydrated foods on a regular basis will also help a lot too.
- Citric fruit juices. Drinking citric fruit juices and allowing them to wash over your teeth on a regular basis can lead to compromised tooth enamel and decay. This is due to the action of the acid upon the surface of the teeth, which softens the enamel. If you are really into your fruit juices, then you need to follow a proper raw food dental care routine.
- Lemons and limes added to dressings or a smoothie.
- Eating acid fruits, like pineapple, oranges, tangerines or sour fruits in general. You need to make sure you have a proper dental hygiene routine and balance these kinds of fruits with other non acidic fruits in your diet.
- Nuts and seeds can stick to your teeth due to their lack of hydration. Again, like dried fruits, soaking them in water and blending them will help avoid this problem.
So do you actually have to exclude these foods from your diet?
No! But for as long as you use the right raw food dental care routine (although some people with serious dental issues may need to limit some of the foods mentioned above).
To help you prevent and stop dental decay, I’ve created a FREE dental health cheat sheet! Simply enter your name and email below to get instant access to it. Your teeth will love it!
Bibliography:
1. Mutans streptococci: acquisition and transmission, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16708784
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Awesome job on your teeth! i haven’t had any problems w my teeth either. seven or eight years raw. almost sixteen vegan.
thank you. :)
Depends on the dentist , many many make up issues or use exaggeration as fear factor to make money . Go to three dentists and you will hear three totally different damage and pricing . Most unfortunately are liars like majority of doctors. Come on these people push flouride treatments and toothpaste and it’s a friggin lethal poison . Most have no idea that mercury is the most dangerous element on planet and say it’s no big deal it’s been added to you’re filling and that people are conspiracy theorists who believe otherwise . You really think they give a damn about really helping you or more so want to make sure you are a customer for life . So should you find one of the very few w scruples you will get a truthful account and reasonable fee. Other than that rare doctor you are looked at as money in the bank and nothing more. Oil pull to kill bacteria at least 3 x week
I do not see a link to the cheat sheet.
Thanks
Right at the end of the article there is a form that says: “where should we send the free dental checklist to?”
Type in your name and email and you will get it right away. Hope this helps!
Hi nice job about the dental problems, however i cannot see the dental hygiene cheat sheet. could you please repost.
Thank you
Right at the end of the article there is a form that says: “where should we send the free dental checklist to?”
Type in your name and email and you will get it right away. Hope this helps!
for the free dental sheet Thanks
Hi! Can you fix the “Reply” button as it covers a bit of the comments?
Where is the dental cheat sheet?
Please see the bottom of the article. Thanks!
The “Where should we send the
FREE DENTAL HYGIENE CHECKLIST?”
bit does not seem to completely load in the Firefox browser. This may be why others didn’t see the part where it asks us to give our emails.
Just thought I’d let you know.