Fad diets could harm oral health

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The sponsors of National Smile Month, Oral B, have carried out a survey in conjunction with the British Dental Health Foundation, which has revealed some shocking facts about our oral hygiene and dietary habits.

The survey revealed that a third of UK adults do not spend the required amount of time brushing their teeth each day and most participants were unaware of the potential dangers of neglecting their teeth and gums. An increasing amount of research is emerging, supporting links between poor oral health and a range of harmful health conditions including strokes, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The survey also revealed that fad diets were extremely popular amongst participants, especially young females. Some people were aware of the dangers diets such as the maple syrup diet posed to oral health, but they chose to ignore the dangers because they thought losing weight and looking good for summer was more important. Maple syrup is packed with sugar, which increases the amount of bacteria in the mouth; the bacteria collects with food deposits to form plaque, which then clings to the surface of the teeth and produces acids which attack and weaken the protective enamel surfaces of the teeth. Participants also failed to realise that drinking white wine can also have a negative effect on oral health.

The results of the survey are fairly shocking and dental experts are urging people to take time to clean their teeth and gums properly and eat a healthy diet. Losing weight should be a gradual process, which should be achieved by eating well and exercising on a regular basis; fad diets are not healthy and they inevitably cause you to put weight back on once you have come to the end of the diet. Dentists hope that the events and activities being held in support of National Smile Month will help to raise awareness of the importance of oral health and the potential problems caused by poor oral health. National Smile Month will run until the 16th June.

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