Vegans~> Are we more susceptible to cavities?

Question

I was just wondering if any of you had issues with this personally or know more information about it.

Even when taking good care of our teeth, does our not eating dairy (and the calcium in it) make us more likely to have cavities? Or is that a myth?

Just curious. Thanks for the help!

(go VEG!)

Answer 1

No, I don't have any issues personally. I don't eat that much sugar though since I don't eat a lot of baked goods or candy or cookies.

I'm not sure if a lack of calcium is going to give you cavities, but it can't be good for your teeth to be lacking calcium....I don't think that's a problem in the vegan diet though, as long as your getting enough calcium (which is pretty easy)

Answer 2

no-as long as you get enough calcium from other sources like spinach. milk isn't not the only nor the best way to get calcium.

Answer 3

I still get calcium from my soy milk...so it's just a myth.

Answer 4

What does dairy have to do with calcium or teeth?

Countries with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Calcium is found more than easily in plant foods.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/bone...

Answer 5

we can get plenty more calcium from plants and plant-based products like dark green vegetables, broccoli, tofu, fruit juices, soy milk, and fig newtons. so, no, we would be more healthy bcuz we eat the more healthy stuff.

Answer 6

If you make carbs (sugar) too large a portion of your diet and don't seek out sources of calcium then tooth decay and osteo would occur more often.  

Obviously, dairy and oyster shell calcium are not an option, so you would want to eat spinach, Kale, Broccoli and other green sources of calcium.

Answer 7

Probably another myth perpetrated by the Dairy Council.  I haven't had a cavity or any tooth problems since I was a child eating candy and drinking soda (which I don't do anymore).

Answer 8

It's a myth.  Studies of both aboriginal peoples and cloistered nuns, and members of those groups who then adopted a "western diet," suggest that it is highly processed food, the digestive issues which accompany this, and the resulting malabsorption of nutrients which lead to tooth decay.

Children in the US consume more calcium (and fluoride) than ever before, yet tooth decay is on the rise.  More children also had pulpotomies (the baby tooth equivalent of a root canal) last year than ever before.  It goes without saying that children in the U.S. also eat more processed food as well.

Answer 9

Bone strength is not just to do with calcium intake from dairy products, whatever the media might say. There is easily absorbed calcium from many plant foods - kale and spring greens for example, are particularly rich sources. Vitamin D is needed too.

With teeth, in addition to these things, limiting consumption of sugary foods is a good idea - and this includes not overdosing on fruit and fruit juices, since these are high in plant sugars. High sugar levels exposed to teeth, over long periods as you know, increase risk of cavities.

However, keeping up moderate fruit consumption is a good idea for health, so just don't eat too much fruit wise. Increasing vegetable intake over fruit intake is the obvious solution.

Answer 10

that myth was probably made by meat eaters that saw a few vegans with cavities. i guess you would if you were uneducated and didnt bother to get your calcium elsewhere then yes. you would probably get cavities