The vegetarian dilemma

A look at how a meat-free diet can be challenging for oral health.

Vegetarianism is increasing every year, and its effects are already visible in the oral health of people in Finland as well as in all Western countries. A diet rich in vegetables, berries, and fruit is healthy for the body because of its vitamin and trace element content, but it is also known to cause dental erosion because of its acidity.

There are many different versions of vegetarian diets. The types are divided according to the proportion of animal products in the diet. A vegetarian diet consists mainly of plant products. A vegan diet, on the other hand, means that a person does not eat any animal products such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and their derivatives.

In Finland, less than 10 per cent of the population are vegetarians, of which a few per cent are vegans. Both vegan and vegetarian diets have an impact on oral health. For people who have changed their diet, these changes often come as a surprise, says dentist Pirta Liljekvist.