VEGETARIAN ROUGHAGE ROUGH ON TEETH

VEGETARIAN ROUGHAGE ROUGH ON TEETH

CHICAGO (Wireless Flash) -- Here's something to chew on: A vegetarian diet may be bad for your teeth. The Academy of General Dentistry claims eating lots of raw vegetables can cause all sorts of dental problems including tooth erosion because of all the crunching and scraping. Vegetarians who cut out dairy products are also at risk of getting mouth ulcers and infections if their diet lacks riboflavin, and low calcium levels can cause the jaw to become weaker. But not everyone is swallowing the Academy's advice. Retired vegetarian dentist Dennis Wayne Bressack says he's skeptical because half of his own diet is raw food and he's never had problems with enamel erosion. And Lige Weill of the Vegetarian Awareness Network says he's been advising vegetarians about diets for 20 years and he's never heard anyone complain about their teeth.

CONTACT: Susan Urbanczyk (Academy of General Dentistry); Chicago, IL; (312) 440-4308; Dennis Wayne Bressack; Woodstock, NY; (914) 679-6932; Lige Weill (VAN); Knoxville, TN; (800) 234-8343 or (423) 970-1786