When Your Diet Changes: How Intermittent Fasting and Keto Impact Oral Health

A great example of this would be in two trending diets: keto and intermittent fasting. With a keto diet, you take a strict low carb approach, focusing on getting your daily caloric intake from fats and protein. 

And with intermittent fasting, it’s less about what you eat and more about when you eat. The idea is to stretch the window of fasting, so that you only eat your meals within a specific frame of time, usually between 4 and 8 hours.

How do diet changes impact your oral health?

With any significant change to your diet, you need to consider a few things. First, will you be able to get all of the nutrients you need from your diet? Vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy teeth, especially calcium, vitamin D and phosphate. 

If you are making drastic changes to your diet and eliminating any food groups, it might be a good idea to start taking a vitamin supplement so that you don’t fall short. 

Diets that aim to impact your blood sugar levels can also have an impact on your oral health as these can change glucose levels in your saliva. Any diet change can also have an impact on your gut biome, which can lead to changes in your oral health.

What about fasting?

Fasting is a big change to your daily routine, and the important thing to remember is that you are still brushing your teeth on a regular schedule. The worry with intermittent fasting is that you might forget to brush in the morning because of the change to your routine.

Many people brush in a specific order, usually after they have had their breakfast. So if you are missing breakfast and waiting until the afternoon for your first meal, you might find that your brushing routine is also disrupted. 

If you prefer to brush after breakfast, you might find that you have to brush your teeth more often. You could brush your teeth when you wake up, after your first meal, and then again before bed.

How does keto diet impact oral health?

In many ways, a keto diet can be beneficial for your oral health because it will result in an elimination of sugar and refined carbs intake, which can protect your teeth. However, it can also lead to something known as keto breath, which happens when your body achieves a state known as ketosis. 

This can lead to dry mouth, which can pave the way for bacteria in the mouth to thrive, giving you bad breath and an increased risk of developing gum disease. If you are following a keto diet, it’s worth visiting your dentist to help identify if this is going to be a problem for you. You can then be prepared for these changes so they won’t cause lasting damage to your oral health.

Where can you turn for advice?

If you are planning to make a change to your diet but are worried about the impact on your oral health, it’s best to speak to your dentist beforehand. They can advise you on the potential side effects and how you can protect your oral health while still making positive changes for your wider health. If you’re thinking about switching to a keto diet or trying intermittent fasting, book an appointment today to find out how we can help.