Proper diet and plaque control will help preserve your teeth for your life. Not only is your diet important to your general health, it is also important to your dental health. If you do not eat a balanced diet, you are more likely to get tooth decay and gum disease.

How does the food you eat cause tooth decay? When you eat, food passes through your mouth. Here it meets the germs, or bacteria, that live in your mouth.Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria. Tooth decay can be thought of as a progressive bacterial infection of the enamel, then the underlying dentin and finally the pulp. Plaque forms within a 24 hour period. Sugar ( any fermentable carbohydrate) is the food the bacteria need to live and grow. These bacteria love sugars and starches found in many foods. When you don't clean your teeth after eating,plaque bacteria use the sugar and starch to produce acids that can destroy the hard surface of the tooth, called enamel. After a while, tooth decay occurs. The more often you eat and the longer foods are in your mouth, the more damage occurs. It is this decay that ultimately destroys the tooth and supporting bone around the tooth. The disease process is progressive in nature. Initial stages of cavity formation ( enamel demineralization ) can appear with in 72 hours.

The early stages of tooth decay can be arrested with fluoride treatment and complete daily plaque removal.

The intermediate and late stages of decay need intervention to remove the damaged tooth structure and repair the damaged areas.

The key to choosing foods wisely is not to avoid these foods, but to think before you eat. Not only what you eat but when you eat makes a big difference in your dental health. Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.

· Soft drinks
· Diet drinks (contain phosphoric acid)
· Excessive fruit drinks
· Coffee/Tea with sugar
· Chocolates & candy (particularly those you leave in your mouth and let dissolve,
· Large amounts of dried fruit (dehydration concentrates the sugar)
· Large amounts citrus fruits (citric acid)