Diet is one of the most important influences on oral health. There are many foods that cause damage to people's teeth and they don't even realize it. Plaque is the leading cause of periodontal disease. Everyone needs to be aware of the many periodontal diseases they are subject to receiving without proper oral health care. "Women who are pregnant and have a periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have a premature labor."(Meow) A person should also make several visits to the dentist throughout the year. Everyone must use the proper oral health care products such as toothbrushes and dental floss. If the prevention of periodontal disease does not occur, painful treatment will be required for removal.
A way to ensure great oral health is to control the amount of sugar intake as well as how often it is in taken. Sugar contributes to tooth decay. By restricting consuming drinks with a lot of sugars to only at mealtime will help do this. "A consumer should also beware of hidden sugars in foods because it is used as a flavoring and preservative."(Razak) Foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates are bad because they tend to give bacteria energy to produce and create enamel-eating acids. A mother should limit the between meals snacks that her child eats. Children tend to eat more foods that are high in sugar. "Studies show that more than 70 percent of children twelve years of age and younger suffer from tooth decay."(Razak) Highly acidic foods will cause damage to a persons tooth as well. Foods like this are limes, lemons, and oranges. Highly acidic foods will eat away at the enamel on your tooth and eventually cause tooth decay or even complete loss of tooth. .
Plaque is the soft, non-mineralized, bacterial deposits which form on teeth that are not adequately cleaned. Plaque forms initially on the organic layer coating the tooth as it erupts into an oral cavity. Once dental plaque mineralizes to form on the tooth, professional treatment is required for removal.