(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
THERE’S a simple folk wisdom on dental esthetics.
It goes like this: if a white T-shirt is stained, the cause can also stain the teeth.
And it’s true. We have experienced this with “colorful” foods such as adobo, dinuguan, and many others like kare-kare and the bagoong that goes with it. And so it is with fruit juice, cola and coffee. The colorful ingredients in food and in drinks have pigments that stick on the tooth enamel and that turns into stains.
And that’s not good. When the pigments are high in sugar, they damage the enamel. That’s because bacteria thrive on the sugar which then produce acid that’s bad news for the enamel.
There are many of these high-sugar and colorful foods around. Take for instance, calamansi juice. Fruit drinks based on citrus are highly acidic. When imbibed more than usual, the citrus drinks compromise the enamel. Of course, brushing your teeth minimizes the risk to the enamel.
One Filipino favorite is dried mango. Careful. When processed into snacks, dried mango are high in sugar to prolong its shelf life and to entice customers with a sweet tooth to reach out for more. The sweet and delicious snack sticks on teeth. Now, that’s a healthy home for bacteria (but not for your teeth) that affect the enamel that eventually cause cavity.
Again, brushing your teeth will minimize the risk of developing cavity. Or opt for fresh fruit instead that have high water content (think of butong pakwan, for instance).
There are sticky candies that stain your teeth because, well, they stick. They are also hard on your teeth, literally, if you don’t melt them in your mouth but rather bite on them, as we are wont to do. Chocolates too are best for bacteria but not your teeth. And chocolate stick on the teeth as well.
Then there are the good old Pinoy favorites, chips of all kinds of flavors and sizes, from korniks to potatoes, and all those “delicious” stuff in between to binge streaming online movies with. Not only are they also hard on teeth, they are also high on sugar (and salt). We don’t need to reiterate how sugar promotes the growth of bacteria that, in turn, may lead to tooth decay.
And would you believe, even crackers that are the color white just might expose your teeth to damage. That’s because the saltine flavor enables the bacteria to break it into sugar. Not only do these popular crackers stick to teeth, they also compromise the enamel where sugar-loving bacteria lurk.
If you love your teeth (and enamel) limit too much consumption of these foods when you can.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
