Do Vegans Have Bad Teeth?*

‘Vegans have really bad teeth’. If you’ve ever seen one of those ’10 reasons why going vegan is bad for your health’ lists/ videos, you’ve probably come across that sentence before. The general argument is that due to the higher amounts of fruits/ vegetables, vegan diets can be more acidic and sugary. Therefore, if you’re vegan, your teeth are going to be awful. I hope we’re all rational enough here to know all that really means all you have to do is take care of your teeth and have good oral hygiene. Just like everyone else… but if you’re vegan and looking for ways to protect your teeth, or happen to eat a lot of acidic food, keep reading.  

Do Vegans Have Bad Teeth? 

While vegans don’t get more cavities etc, we are more prone to acid erosion if our teeth aren’t properly looked after. A very simple way to avoid acid erosion is to avoid brushing your teeth straight after eating acidic food and use toothpaste that protects enamel. So, protect your teeth, as everyone should. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to vegans – there are lots of other people eating healthy diets with lots of fresh fruit who have to take the same precautions.  

How To Keep Healthy Teeth As a Vegan 

• Don’t brush straight after really acidic food 

• Maintain good oral hygiene 
• Use a toothpaste that protects enamel 
• Look for products with xylitol  

What’s Xylitol?  

Essentially, xylitol is a sugar substitute. It’s a sugar alcohol that doesn’t raise blood sugar, so can often be found in sugar free sweets* and is seen as a healthier alternative. But it’s great for dental health too. Not only is it better for your teeth than sugar, it also protects your teeth. 

Some studies have found that xylitol can prevent tooth decay. The oral bacteria (sorry, I know that sounds gross) feed on glucose, but they can’t ‘feed’ on xylitol. So, using xylitol instead essentially starves the bacteria.  

A lot of chewing gums and toothpastes contain xylitol to help protect your teeth, including the Nano Whitening Toothpaste from Whitewash Laboratories**. 

Xylitol Toothpaste 

I was recently sent some products from WhiteWash Laboratories to try. When the box arrived, I knew it was coming, but didn’t know exactly what they were sending, so I was very excited to unbox it.  

They sent over a couple of different toothpastes, a whitening kit and some floss. Their products are vegan (a lot of big name dental brands aren’t), paraben, alcohol and SLS free. 

And as for protecting teeth, their whitening toothpaste contains xylitol as the 4th ingredient, so quite high concentration to protect against acid and enamel erosion.  

The Nano range also includes their Gold Particle Whitening Toothpaste, which contains xylitol as well. This toothpaste contains little flecks of gold, which feels rather fancy first thing on a morning. All products are formulated by UK dentists and are safe to use on your enamel without being too harsh. Perfect for vegans (or anyone) looking to protect against an acidic diet.   

I’ve only used the whitening strips once so far, but I have quite sensitive teeth usually and haven’t experienced any issues with any of these products.  You can currently get 25% off too!

This Month…I Tried A New Toothpaste? 

Okay, so this has nothing to do with being vegan. And it’s completely off topic from enamel erosion and xylitol. Oh, and ‘This Month’ has a new home now. But I’ve spoken to a few of you on Twitter before about increased gum sensitivity and issues with gums around that time of the month. And I thought that deserved a mention while I was talking about sensitivity.  

This box of products arrived a few days before my last period when I’d usually be very hesitant to try new dental products because my gums are so sensitive for those few days. But, hello, it was gold toothpaste?! I started using the gold toothpaste the following day and other than one pesky ulcer, I haven’t had any gum sensitivity this month at all. Usually my gums are very inflamed for those few days, and sometimes bleed a little when I brush and I saw no signs of that this month. And as for the bleeding, I’ve spoken to my dentist about this before, I don’t have gum disease; I know some of you were probably thinking that. It’s the hormones, apparently, it’s a known issue – that’s why pregnant women get free dental care in the UK. Yet another thing on the things they don’t tell you about periods list.  

Anyway, as I know some of you experience similar issues, I’d highly recommend trying it for that.  

Have you tried any of these products before? And ladies, do any of you experience gum sensitivity around that time of the month? 

You can use code ‘SOPHIE10’ for 10% off your WhiteWash order!

Until next time, 

Sophie 

 

*The sweets photographed are sugar free, Free From Fellows Midget Gems. They aren’t involved in this post at all, but I have worked with them previously.

**The dental products in this post were gifted by WhiteWash Labs. All opinions are my own.

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