Turkey Day and Tooth Decay – Eat Up Knoxville

Thanksgiving is around the corner and media outlets everywhere are bombarding us with advice like “6 tips for cutting calories this Thanksgiving”. Well guess what Knoxville, if you don’t know that habitually overeating is the cause of your chinos no longer fitting then you’re in trouble. Substituting Thanksgiving casseroles for kale is not going to redirect the course of your declining health.  Eating as if there is no tomorrow for 364 days and suddenly becoming health conscious on Turkey Day does not enhance the waistline.  Like many things in America, we’ve got it all backwards. Thanksgiving is ALL about the food. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast, and thus Thanksgiving was born. Read it again Knoxville, A HARVEST FEAST.

Now lets take dentistry and oral health and tie it in with Thanksgiving and nutrition.

Watching portion sizes and variety is incredibly important to your health. This means eating a well-balanced diet so your body can get all the different nutrients it needs. If your diet is lacking in these essential nutrients you could have a more difficult time resisting infection. Diet can influence your bodies susceptibility to gum disease and tooth decay.

Foods high in starch, carbs and sugars play a role in forming sticky a plaque that adheres to your teeth. Bacteria will colonize in this dental plaque, which following a meal or snack containing sugar can release acids that attack tooth enamel. Attacks over time cause the enamel to break down, eventually causing cavities. Regular brushing and flossing between teeth will remove plaque. Infrequent or ineffective oral hygiene will allow plaque to be left on the teeth and over time the plaque will harden to calculus or tartar.

When tartar collects above the gum line, the tissue may become swollen and inflamed. You may experience bleeding when you brush or floss. Guess what Knoxville, this is the gum disease known as G-I-N-G-I-V-I-T-I-S

As gum disease progress, the plaque and tartar migrates down the teeth, below the gums. This disease process is called periodontitis. The loss of gum tissue and bone may become more severe over time. If it does, your teeth may begin to feel loose as the supporting bone erodes. Your teeth may start moving around in your mouth. Chronic periodontitis affects 47.2% of adults over 30 in the United States. This is the most common form of periodontitis but beware, it can begin at any age.

Added sugars and processed carbs are bad and we should all strive to eat better…sounds familiar. Brushing, flossing and regular dental care by your favorite dental office in Knoxville is essential to keep your teeth healthy. Don’t let ruin the one Holiday we have that is 100% centered around a big, indulgent, gluttonous parade of casseroles and carbs. So go ahead Knoxville, enjoy Nana’s homemade yeast rolls and go for that second slice of pecan pie. Just remember to brush and floss before the turkey tryptophan kicks in.