Is Veganism Bad for Your Teeth?

There has been a lot of debate surrounding vegan diets and their effects on health and nutrition, but their effect on oral health haven’t been examined much until recently.

Here are some of the adverse affects a vegan diet can have on dental health and how you can overcome them.

Lack of Amino Acids

Researchers recently discovered that the amino acid argentine can help disrupt plaque growth on gums and teeth. This amino acid is most common in meat and hinders the growth of biofilms (groups of bacteria).

There are some kinds of toothpaste that contain arginine additives, and you can also substitute meat with beans that contain this amino acid. Soybeans, bean sprouts and black beans can help increase your amino acid levels – although not as much as from eating meat or dairy.

Lack of Minerals

Strong, healthy teeth require minerals, calcium being one of the most important. However, calcium is often lacking from vegan diets. This is because, while some vegetables like spinach and kale are relatively high in calcium, they also contain oxalate and phytate, which can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium effectively.

As such, it is crucial that these vegetables are consumed regularly as part of a vegan diet, to ensure your calcium intake is sufficient for healthy teeth and bones.

Cariogenic Foods

Vegan diets tend to be more cariogenic (more likely to cause cavities). This is for a number of reasons:

• They contain a large amount of fruit, which are high in sugar.
• They contain more acidic foods, like lemons, oranges, pineapples and tomatoes, as well as roasted vegetables.
• These foods are also relatively low in calories, which means they have to be eaten in greater amounts to meet your dietary needs, thus compounding the problem.

One of the few ways to counteract cariogenic food is to be more diligent with dental hygiene. This means brushing for more than five minutes a day, flossing every day, as well as using a tongue scraper, water irrigator or mouthwash to remove bacteria and food particles from the mouth.

The Fluoride Problem

The use of fluoride as an additive in drinking water is a topic that has been hotly debated. However, that doesn’t mean fluoride is inherently bad for you. While it’s hard to see fluoride fitting into a holistic diet, it is extremely effective at strengthening teeth and counteracting many of the dental problems that can arise from a strict vegan diet.

If you’d like more advice on how you can improve your oral health, please give us a call to book a consultation.