Diet
DIET
Diet is really important to general and to oral health.
General dietary tips
- To maintain general and oral health, it is recommended to consume 3 meals and up to 2 snacks daily. Constant consumption of food and drink does not allow saliva to clean the teeth and increases the risk for caries.
- The best snacks for oral health are cheese, yogurt, nuts, fruit and vegetables.
- It is recommended to avoid the consumption of sugary and sticky foods such as hard candy, gummy bears and lollipops.
- When you want to have a sweet treat such as cookies, chocolate, cake, cereal, carton juice, or sort drinks it is better to consume it with a main meal and brush your teeth immediately after.
Dietary tips during orthodontic treatment
- Do not eat very hard foods like nuts, popcorn, ice cubes, bread crust etc.
- Do not eat sticky food like chewing gum, toffee, hard candy etc.
- Do not bite hard items like nails, pencils and pens
- Eat your food with caution and try to cut it in small pieces before you put it in your mouth
- Do not use your front teeth to eat sandwiches, burgers, apples, souvlakia, corn combs etc. Try to cut them in small pieces and eat them with your back teeth.
- Remember to take any seeds out from olives and fruit to avoid biting on them
Dietary advice during breastfeeding or bottle feeding
Breastfeeding is a wonderful habit that offers the best nutrition to the infant in the first months of life, protects him/her from the first infections and creates a relationship of safety and warmth. However, after tooth eruption, it is necessary to start brushing the teeth to avoid caries. Milk contains lactose which is a type of sugar and which causes caries when is left on the teeth for long and frequent periods. After breastfeeding or bottle feeding, remember to clean the teeth with a gauze or a piece of wet cloth, to remove milk sugars.
