We’re all aware of the benefits that dieting has on our waistlines. But is there really a diet that can benefit our oral health. A dental diet?

Like most diets, the idea behind intermittent fasting was to help people lose weight. It requires sticking to regimented phases of eating then not eating.

While regular diets might see you eating a few carefully mapped out meals or drinking some flavored shakes every day, intermittent fasting is less about what you eat (you can basically eat what you want) and more about when you eat.

You could follow the 16/8 variation, which requires you to fast for 16 hours a day, or the 5:2 where you eat normally for five days of the week, and on the other two restrict your calorie intake to 500 or 600 calories per day.

But an additional benefit from intermittent fasting, aside from weight loss, has been identified and, given the title of this blog and its place on a dental website, you’re right to think that the benefit is oral health related.

Dental Benefits Of Fasting

Fasting – intermittent or otherwise – has been proven to restore your body’s natural rhythm, and this is important for dental health. That’s because when your body is prevented from operating at its natural rhythm, the spread of bacteria known to cause tooth decay, bleeding gums and gum disease increases. This lack of rhythm is also thought to be responsible for releasing the compounds that cause bad breath, another oral health problem we could all do without.

But another reason why fasting works to help heal and protect teeth and gums is that because you’re eating less, and less often, you are limiting the amount of time that damaging sugars from food are spending in your mouth and in contact with your teeth and gums. These attract bacteria that cause plaque which is responsible for gum inflammation and gum disease.

So by denying yourself food for at least 16 hours a day, or limiting your calorie intake for two days of the week, you’re effectively giving your gums and teeth a much welcome detox which benefits your oral health.

Of course, dental fasting isn’t for everyone. It’s asking a lot to deny yourself any food for so many of the day’s waking hours. So if the prospect of a 16/8, 5:2 or any other variation of intermittent fasting doesn’t sit well with you, but you’re determined to avoid or rid yourself of the perils and pains of caries or gum disease, a good alternative is to book yourself regular check-ups with your dentist.

If you’re looking for a SW Calgary dentist, reach out to ADx Dental. We’re accepting new customers at our walk-in dental clinic, and we’re helping new and existing customers maintain healthy teeth and gums, even if they’re not fasting.

To book a consultation, please call (403) 454-6677 . Or why not discover more about our Gum Rejuvenation services here.