NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING

Healthy Smiles Start With Good Food

A balanced, nutritious diet benefits your entire body—including your smile! Consuming foods that are good for your teeth can help prevent diabetes, cavities and periodontitis. At Fair Lakes Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Fairfax, Va, we provide nutritional counseling to help you build a healthy diet and good eating habits that your smile will thank you for.

NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING

Limiting Your Intake Of Damaging Foods

Sugar is the number one cause of tooth decay. This is because sugar reacts with the bacteria found in plaque, forming acid that can break down the enamel and eventually lead to cavities. Sugars come in different forms, so they are not always easy to identify. Sucrose, fructose and glucose are the main types of sugar that you’ll find in an ingredient list. Another tricky thing about sugar is that it is present in all processed foods.

Acid is a substance found in food and drinks that can actually erode your teeth. Foods high in acid include soft drinks, orange juice, mineral water, vinegar and red wine. Tooth erosion can leave your teeth feeling sensitive and even affect the way that they look.

Dental erosion can also be caused by health conditions such as acid reflux. Patients who struggle with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or who vomit frequently are at a higher risk of dental erosion. Nutritional counseling can help with these struggles.

The Nutritional Counseling Process

Nutritional counseling at Fair Lakes Family & Cosmetic Dentistry involves several steps. These include:

The Initial Assessment

First, there would be the initial assessment where your dentist would discuss with you your health history which would include your medical history and any current health issues you may have.

Next, your dentist would discuss your current eating habits, dietary preferences, and nutritional intake.

The final assessment will be your lifestyle analysis which will include looking at your lifestyle, physical activity, sleep patterns, and other factors that contribute toward your nutritional status. That will complete your assessments.

  • From there you and Dr. Tran or Dr. Nguyen will set goals. You will set SMART goals which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals tailored to your needs, and you will set Short-term and Long-term goals. Your dentist will help you set immediate and future objectives to track your progress and motivate you.

  • Meeting often with our team and setting obtainable goals  will set you up for success to keep your oral and physical health balanced.

Tips For A Healthy Smile with Nutritional Counseling

A nutritious diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meat, whole grains and dairy. In addition to helping you build a healthy, balanced diet with nutritional counseling to support good dental health, our dental team recommends the following:

Reduce snacking in between meals

It’s not only how much sugar you eat —but also, it’s also how often. The more often you consume something sugary between meals, the more sugar sits on your teeth. Grouping your sugar consumption into one meal lessens the time sugar can possibly decay the teeth

If you brush your teeth immediately after you eat, you may brush some enamel away. The goal is to brush away the bacteria without removing the enamel.

Saliva acts as your very own cleaning agent by naturally breaking down acid. Saliva production slows down while you’re sleeping, which is why it is important to brush your teeth before bed

Calcium found in dairy products helps strengthen the enamel on your teeth

woman eating and smiling

Diabetes And Dental Health

At Fair Lakes Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we specialize in helping treat patients with diabetes. Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk for various dental problems, including tooth decay, gum disease, thrush and dry mouth. In addition to practicing good dental habits and visiting your dentist regularly, a balanced diet is a great way to manage the effects of diabetes on the teeth and the body.

If you want to make a change to your diet, we can help. Whether you’re at risk for a dental condition or just want to live a healthier life, our expert dental team provides nutritional counseling to patients of all kinds. To get started, call 703-273-4505 or schedule an online appointment with us.