The Keto Diet and Oral Issues
Admin • January 21, 2021
Can the popular keto diet affect your dental health? The ketogenic (more commonly known as keto) diet is a low carb, high diet that can help you to lose weight. Even though eating keto can lead to a slimmer figure, it can also impact your oral health. If you're a keto eater, take a look at what you need to know about your healthy mouth.
Will the Keto Diet Cause Bad Breath?
Does the possibility of keto breath give you pause? Halitosis (or bad breath) is one of the most well-known complaints some keto eaters have. While halitosis doesn't impact every person who tries this type of diet, it's possible you may notice keto breath after you change your eating habits. Unlike the odor you may smell after eating a garlic-filled meal or the scent poor oral care can cause, keto breath has a distinct fruit-like or acetone-ish smell.
What Causes Keto Breath?
To understand the process behind keto breath, you need to learn more about how this diet works. When you restrict or limit the amount of carbohydrates (sugars) you eat, your body starts to use stored fat for energy. After your body goes through stored glucose (sugar), it begins to break down fat—leading to ketosis and weight loss.
The ketosis process happens when the body converts fatty acids into ketones. Acetone, acetoacetate, and hydroxybutyrate are ketones, all natural chemicals. Your body will produce these chemicals (ketones) as you burn fat through the keto diet.
As ketones build up in the body, you need to release them. This happens through the natural processes of exhalation and urination. When you exhale ketones, you may notice the acetone smell or a similar nail polish remover-like taste in your mouth.
Is Keto Breath an Oral Hygiene Issue?
You can't brush keto breath away. Even though it is a form of halitosis, it doesn't have the same cause as other forms of bad breath. Halitosis has several possible causes. Gum disease, dry mouth, dental decay, oral infections, throat infections, acid reflux, and some types of foods can cause bad breath.
Periodontal (gum) issues and decay-related halitosis require oral care changes to eliminate. While brushing and flossing can significantly impact this type of bad breath, the same isn't true for keto odors. Minty toothpastes, mouthwashes, and sugar-free mints/gum can mask the taste or odor. But these products won't remove the cause.
Some keto dieters who experience bad breath notice an improvement over time. As your body gets used to the low carb diet, you may notice better breath. Other ways to decrease the odor include increased water intake or eating more carbs. Even though adding carbs to your diet can eliminate keto breath, this strategy may counteract the weight loss effects of your new meal plan.
If your bad breath doesn't resolve on its own or you're not sure whether the keto diet or something else is at fault, talk to your dentist. The dentist can examine your mouth and look for other potential oral issues.
Can the Keto Diet Help Your Mouth's Health?
Do you have significant dental decay or gum disease? Keto eating won't eliminate these issues—but the diet can work as part of a healthy oral care routine.
Dental decay and periodontal disease don't happen on their own. The bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar/starch and produce acids. The acids erode the enamel, or the outer layer of the tooth. This results in decay.
Even though the keto diet can cause temporary bad breath, it may have healthy mouth benefits. The lower carbohydrate intake the diet requires limits the amount of sugar in your mouth. Without a steady bath of sugary carbs feeding the bacteria in your mouth, you may notice decreased decay or increased gum health.
Do you have concerns about how the keto diet will affect your mouth? Contact Silver Lake Family Dentalfor more information.
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Many dental patients need to wear a night guard at night to avoid damage from clenching their jaw and grinding their teeth. Whether you're choosing a custom-fitted one you send away in the mail, a basic boil-and-bite guard, or a professional night guard fitted in person by your dentist, a night guard can be an essential part of your dental care. Here are some considerations for helping you choose between the many night guard options available to you. 1. Texture of the Guard Some night guards are made of soft and cushion-like plastic. This may sound positive, since the material will be able to soften the shock of clenching your teeth together. However, these chewy-textured guards may actually encourage a chewing motion and could actually increase grinding in some cases. Increased grinding could mean that symptoms such as jaw and muscle soreness, headaches, and gum irritation increase. These symptoms can still occur even if you're using a night guard, so you can see why choosing a guard that doesn't increase grinding is important. A less squishy, comparatively hard-textured night guard may work better. 2. Comfort and Convenience Before you decide on a night guard, think about the process of wearing it. If you have a sensitive gag reflex or jaw joint issues (such as temporomandibular problems, which may accompany nighttime grinding), you may not be comfortable holding a thick, bulky guard in your mouth. An uncomfortable night guard is not only less pleasant to wear, but may keep you awake at night, reducing sleep duration or quality. Or you may even find yourself removing it in your sleep, eliminating its effectiveness. So comfort is a big deal here. A guard that's made of an extra-stiff material or one that's not quite the right shape and size could also be uncomfortable. 3. Sturdiness and Longevity Before comparing prices on different styles of night guard, don't forget to consider the monthly or yearly price based on the product's expected lifespan. Check the product information to see how long the product typically lasts. And don't forget to factor in the possibility of chewing through the guard. If your nighttime grinding is bad enough that your dentist has told you to wear a night guard, you may be at risk of wearing through your night guards on a regular basis. Talk to your dentist about how severe your problem is and whether you'll need to look for an extra-durable night guard. 4. Price For many patients, price is a big factor. If you can afford it, you should consider investing in the professionally fitted night guard your dentist offers. Although expensive up front, these guards are likely to offer a long service life. They're also less likely to be bulky and uncomfortable. However, for many dental patients, a professional guard is just not affordable, especially if you don't have dental insurance to cover it. In this scenario, you're likely better off looking for a mid-range price rather than a bottom basement product that's made as cheaply as possible. Some patients use a sports mouthguard as a night guard, because sports guards are widely available and affordable. However, this option is not optimal because a sports guard is likely to be thicker and more cushioning, yet less hard and therefore less able to stand up to grinding. Also, these guards may be quite difficult to sleep with since they're so bulky. 5. Possible Side Effects In some cases, a poorly made night guard could interfere with your bite by changing how your teeth fit together all night, every night. Your dentist's professionally fitted night guard is less likely to interfere with your bite. It's a thin material that won't force your jaw into an open position or keep your teeth from fitting together normally. These considerations can help you choose a night guard that's likely to work for your situation. If you find that you struggle with the first night guard you try, don't give up. Talk to your dentist about which option you should try next. Schedule an appointment with Silver Lake Family Dental today to discuss your dental needs with your friendly local dentist.
