The main task of enamel, the hardest tissue in the human body, is to protect the crown of the tooth from negative influences. Cigarettes, soda, caramel are just a small part of what disrupts the alkaline balance of the oral cavity and harms the enamel.
The destruction of enamel is accompanied by the leaching of minerals and trace elements, which is reflected in the appearance of the tooth: microcracks form, the shade or even color of the tooth changes. At the same time, sensitivity increases: teeth react painfully to cold, hot, spicy, salty.
In severely advanced cases, there is a threat of tooth destruction due to the formation of caries.
Until recently, it was believed that dental health depended primarily on heredity. However, recent studies by foreign scientists have shown that a healthy lifestyle, in which a person monitors diet, physical activity and habits, can change the “genetic code” and reverse the trend of frequent visits to the dental office.
Antistress from a bag
What is the reason for such ardent love? Psychologists explain this phenomenon this way: peeling seeds has a calming effect. In a stressful state, the monotonous chewing of shells plunges a person into a state akin to meditation - he relaxes and stops thinking about problems as something terrible. A handful of grains helps you calm down and regain control over your emotions. And since it is known that modern people face stress at every step, it becomes clear why the popularity of this product is so great.
A storehouse of useful substances
But the benefits of sunflower seeds don’t stop there. They contain many substances necessary for humans:
- saturated fatty acids
– reduce cholesterol;
- B vitamins
– improve skin condition, protect against depression;
- vitamin A
– good for vision, prevents skin aging;
- vitamin E
– supports heart health;
- vitamin D
– takes care of the skeletal system (sunflower kernels contain approximately the same amount of it as cod liver);
- trace elements and minerals
– magnesium necessary for the heart, zinc useful for immunity and appearance. And also selenium, phosphorus, silicon, copper and a number of others;
- approximately 20% of the grain composition is protein
. One glass of the product is enough to provide the body with half the daily requirement of proteins;
- dietary fiber, or fiber (about 5%)
- a necessary part of the diet. Stimulates peristalsis, causes a feeling of satiety, and prevents gastrointestinal diseases.
When buying vitamin complexes, many do not even realize that almost the entire list on the label of an expensive drug can be attributed to an ordinary bag of seeds.
Sunflower seeds are a means of preventing diseases of the cardiovascular system. Beneficial for the liver and biliary tract. (They activate the secretion of bile, so if gallstone disease has already been diagnosed, they are contraindicated).
VEGETABLES, FRUITS, BERRIES, GREENS
Everyone knows that vegetables, unsweetened fruits and greens should be an important part of every person’s diet in order to maintain the balance of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial microelements in the body.
However, fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs are important for dental health, as they provide essential vitamins and minerals.
It is important to focus your diet on carrots as a source of keratin, pumpkin, which can restore white teeth due to the selenium it contains, and greens, especially spinach, which is rich in calcium.
Vegetables and greens enrich saliva with minerals that are beneficial to the health of tooth enamel (phosphate, fluoride, calcium).
It is important to understand that minerals are “leached” from teeth over time. Therefore, for the health of your teeth enamel, you must remember to eat fresh vegetables, herbs and unsweetened fruits.
Don't forget to take care of your gum health. Hard varieties of vegetables and fruits will help with this. Chewing solid food has a massage effect on the gums, thereby improving blood circulation in the mouth.
Greens will help take care of healthy oral microflora (parsley is especially good for this task), because contains antibacterial substances that can stop inflammatory processes, get rid of bad breath, and prevent caries.
Can seeds be dangerous?
Those who want to improve their health with delicious grains should be aware of the nuances of their path to store shelves.
- When buying a product in “factory” packaging, we do not know exactly how it was processed. Some manufacturers use diesel fuel to dry the sunflower crop, during the combustion of which the carcinogenic substance benzopyrene is formed. The longer the raw material is stored in the warehouse, the more benzopyrene settles on the grains. Closer to the new harvest, its quantity may exceed all norms, especially if the raw materials were initially wet - in the case of a rainy summer, for example. An indirect sign of the presence of non-opyrene is considered to be a greasy coating on the peel.
- When producing seeds on an industrial scale, it is possible to store the crop on asphalt sites. If the air temperature is above 30 degrees, harmful compounds evaporate from the asphalt and are absorbed into the product.
- Growing sunflowers is rarely possible without the use of phosphorus fertilizers containing cadmium. Its presence cannot be determined without special research - it does not affect the taste of the kernels. Small amounts are not harmful, but chronic consumption of foods rich in cadmium can cause kidney and bone problems. Cadmium accumulates in the body and is eliminated from it over decades.
- Grains may contain lead if the fields are located near roads.
These features cause sunflower seeds to be harmful to health. It is clear that it is caused by processes accompanying the industrial processing of raw materials. Sunflower grown in environmentally friendly places and processed without the use of toxic substances is absolutely safe.
The most beneficial for your health are grains that have not been subjected to heat treatment. The most that can be done with them without significant damage to their positive properties is to dry them in the sun. Once in a hot frying pan or in the oven, “rosy” fried sunflower seeds contain nothing but fiber and a huge amount of “empty” calories. If they are seasoned with salt, then the benefit to the body tends to zero.
Who should not become a “rodent”, or contraindications
If you have a history of stomach ulcers, colitis or enterocolitis, you should treat this delicacy with caution - it can aggravate the disease. Gout is also a contraindication, as is gallstone disease, as already mentioned.
When the shells are cracked, their fragments, similar to tiny slivers, enter the oral cavity. Such a “splinter” can seriously damage the mucous membrane and vocal cords. That is why singers and announcers do not allow themselves to “indulge” in unpeeled sunflower kernels.
How to protect enamel
It is impossible to completely eliminate “harmful” foods from the diet, and it is not always necessary. You can maintain a healthy and beautiful smile by following simple rules.
The first thing you shouldn’t forget is personal hygiene
. It is advisable to brush your teeth after every meal to remove any leftover food. And if morning and evening care procedures involve the use of toothpaste and brushes, during the day it is useful to use dental floss, mouthwash and even chewing gum (the main thing is not to chew for a long time).
Use toothpicks carefully, and only if there is no other alternative. Do not try to remove stuck pieces with a fork, fingernails or sharp objects. This cleaning method will do more harm than good.
Second, it's diet.
. An excess of citrus fruits, frequent consumption of lemonade, hard foods (crackers, dried fruits, candies, etc.), alcohol contribute to the active spread of bacteria that destroy enamel. It is not necessary to completely eliminate foods from your diet unless otherwise recommended by your doctor, but it is worth reducing the frequency and volume of consumption.
What is good for enamel? Sun and vitamin D, strawberries and cottage cheese. These components contribute to the natural restoration of enamel and strengthen it.
Third. Don't forget to seek help and advice from your dentist. The doctor will tell you how to properly care for your mouth and help you choose a restorative (not just cosmetic) toothpaste for regular use.
In addition, in the dental office you will have professional teeth cleaning (it is recommended to do it 1-2 times a year) and remineralization - the process of restoring enamel with the help of special preparations, including fluoride-containing ones.
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Sunflower and figure
The idea that a bag of grains can be used as a snack is wrong. A 100-gram pack contains on average 550 Kcal – that’s how many calories are in sunflower seeds. This portion is equivalent to a full meal. Each nucleolus is a source of fat, since it consists of almost 70% of it. With this knowledge, you can take care of your figure and continue to pamper yourself with your favorite delicacy - you just need to consume it in moderation and reduce the nutritional value of the rest of your diet by the corresponding number of calories.
Nutcrackers risk damaging teeth
Constant use of certain areas of the incisors leads to thinning and even splitting of the enamel. You can “crack” seeds for years without much harm to it, and one day you will encounter an overly strong specimen that will make a hole in the enamel that is visible to the naked eye. But more often, tooth damage is the result of many years of grinding down the enamel, which simply does not have time to recover.
What happens next? There are two options.
- The “Nutcracker” goes to the dentist, who fixes the problem and convinces the patient of the need to give up the bad habit or learn to “disassemble” sunflower seeds with his hands (by the way, stimulation of the fingertips rich in nerve endings has never harmed anyone).
- He continues to chew “for his own pleasure”, changing the localization of the “working” areas on his teeth. There are “craftsmen” who crack the shell with their molars and, manipulating their tongue, separate the kernels from the husk. The latter is evacuated, that is, spat out. The condition of the oral cavity after such a meal leaves much to be desired, but abrasions on the mucous membrane and chips of the enamel do not bother the “seed eaters” until significant harm is caused to their health. After this, it is time for the first option.
You should not put off visiting a doctor, because a violation of the integrity of the enamel is:
- ugly smile;
- painful reaction to frosty air, cold and hot food;
- if the pulp chamber is damaged, pain occurs that interferes with chewing food properly;
- when the nerve is exposed - toothache even at rest;
- possible source of infection;
- the likelihood of tooth decay and loss.
Peeling sunflower seeds with your teeth is dangerous because small chips and cracks that do not affect the dentin do not cause noticeable pain. Because of this, the patient delays his visit to the dentist and may experience unpleasant complications. And to eliminate them, additional means are needed - both therapeutic and financial. You need to remember this when planning to watch your favorite series with the treasured little bag in your hands.
Stages of development of a wedge-shaped defect
The wedge-shaped defect develops gradually. The following stages of process development can be distinguished:
- First changes in enamel. A small area at the base of the tooth darkens slightly and loses its shine. Over time, it will develop pigmentation. At this stage, the future defect can only be seen using a special device.
- Superficial lesion. At the base of the tooth there is a noticeable crack, at its widest part not exceeding 3.5 mm. The gums sag, the neck of the tooth is exposed. The patient is uncomfortable with food that is too hot or cold, but the pain quickly goes away.
- Progressive stage. The wedge-shaped defect deepens to 4 mm, becomes yellowish-brown, matte. The shape of the triangle is already clearly visible - the two affected planes of the tooth converge at an angle of 45 degrees. Teeth react painfully to temperature stimuli and acidic foods. It is painful for the patient to brush his teeth. He feels the defect as a kind of step at the base of the tooth, where the remains of soft food are retained. At this stage, the diseased tooth is already noticeable to others when smiling and talking.
- Launched form. The enamel becomes thinner, dentin is affected, and in difficult cases, even the pulp. The wedge deepens to 0.5 cm, the neck of the tooth is exposed. If the destruction reaches the pulp, the neurovascular bundle of the tooth becomes inflamed. Acute paroxysmal pain appears, the tooth reacts to the temperature and taste of food, touch, the chewing process and causes a lot of inconvenience.
After seeds – rinse and clean
Another aspect of eating sunflower grains that affects the condition of the oral cavity is the particles of kernels and husks remaining after eating them. The former are an excellent environment for harmful microorganisms, while the latter, with their sharp edges, injure everything they come into contact with. To minimize the harm of these factors, after the “meal” you need to brush your teeth, after rinsing your mouth generously with water. Otherwise, pieces of shell will become a traumatic abrasive during cleaning.
It has long been known that food can be useful and harmful - it all depends on its quality, portions and the presence of a culture of consumption. This fully applies to sunflower kernels.
Diagnostics
A wedge-shaped tooth defect is usually identified by a dentist during a routine examination or treatment. He evaluates the location and shape of the pathology, the density of the tooth tissue. It is important to confirm that we are not dealing with dental erosion, superficial, cervical caries or enamel necrosis.
The doctor examines the patient’s dental status (oral hygiene, number of caries-affected, filled and extracted teeth, gum condition) and conducts a thermal test. This is a tooth reaction to temperature stimuli.
Vital staining helps in establishing the diagnosis: the wedge-shaped defect is well stained with iodine solution, but retains its color when treated with methylene blue. It is also important to determine what malocclusion pathologies exist and how they affect the occurrence of the pathology.
To exclude the influence of somatic diseases, the doctor may refer the patient to an endocrinologist and gastroenterologist.
