1. Keep number of food intakes limited to a maximum of six during the whole day (including tea, coffee), out of which three should be major meals and three snacks.

  2. Drink sufficient water. It helps to maintain the salivary flow at optimum levels.

  3. Eat fewer sweets. As far as possible avoid eating sweets in between meals. Also avoid anything sweet for an hour before going to bed.

  4. It is very necessary that you brush your teeth after having sweets. So it is best to have sweets during or after meals and not as separate snacks.

  5. Avoid aerated drinks to keep your oral cavity healthy.

  6. If you are not able to brush after your lunch, a sugar-free chewing gum may be a good idea. Please make sure that it is sugar free.

  7. Avoid daily intake of orange juice or any citrus fruit juice.

  8. In general, every food in its original form is the best. For example, whole orange is better than orange juice and raw tomato is better than tomato sauce or ketchup.

  9. After having any of the above acidic foods or drinks, rinse your mouth with water. Do not brush your teeth immediately as the acidic pH and mechanical action of brushing complement each other to produce tooth wear.

  10. Your diet should include the necessary amount of fibrous foods and protein rich foods. Fibrous foods perform an automatic cleansing action while we are chewing them.

  11. If you are implementing a diet pattern suggested to you by a dietitian for general health or any illness, please consult the dietitian or physician before acting upon the advice given by the dentist. For example, munching on a piece of cheese after acidic foods can bring back the pH of the oral cavity to neutral very quickly so that can be advised by a dentist but that should suit your overall diet scheme.

  12. All these rules apply more stringently to kids as they are not well capable of performing brushing. So the parents have to monitor their diet pattern very carefully.