Tag Archives: dental health

What to Eat for Healthy Teeth

You can help keep your teeth healthy from the inside out — certain diet choices can help keep your choppers strong and shiny. Here are some tips to help protect your mouth against decay, disease, and more! Sugar isn’t the only thing that’s bad for your teeth — carbs can be just as damaging. After all, carbohydrates break down into simple sugars in your body. In your mouth, sugars are converted into plaque. That doesn’t mean you have to give up carbs! Just try to eat them only at mealtimes. Carbs are kind of sticky, so they tend to adhere … Continue reading →

Foods That Are Good For Your Teeth

The food you eat helps build a strong, healthy body — that includes your teeth! Adding a few simple things to your diet can help your choppers stay strong and healthy. Watch when you eat your carbs. Carbohydrates break down into sugars, which can be converted to plaque in the mouth. Plaque is the primary cause of gum disease and cavities! If you snack on carbs like chips, cookies, and crackers, foods can get caught between teeth and under the gum line, making it easy for bacteria to get to work. If you eat your carbs at mealtimes, you’ll be … Continue reading →

Why Chewing Gum Is Good For You

Bring enough gum for everybody — because chewing gum can be good for you! Chewing a sugar-free gum after meals can help neutralize acids that turn into plaque on your teeth. This reduces your risk of developing cavities! Cinnamon is a natural germ killer. Cinnamon gum can help bust bad breath. Minty gums can help too, but the sweet scent may just cover up the problem, not neutralize the germs in your mouth. Chewing gum can help you lose weight — studies have shown that people who chew gum between meals tend to snack less. Whether the chewing motion keeps … Continue reading →

Cavities on the Rise For Young Children

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A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is noting an increase in cavities in children between the ages of two and five. This report follows up on an earlier study of more than twenty-six thousand Americans conducted between 1988 and 1994. Study participants had their oral health monitored through interviews and regular checkups. A repeat of the study took place between 1999 and 2004 — approximately twenty-five thousand Americans were involved the second time around. Again, participants were monitored through interviews and regular checkups. The CDC compared the two studies to take a look at dental health … Continue reading →

Bad Breath

We don’t talk about it in polite company. We chew gum, gargle mouthwash, and try burning strips of concentrated breath fresheners that melt on the tongue. Battling bad breath can feel like an endless struggle at times. What causes bad breath? More often than not, the problem starts if you aren’t brushing and flossing as well and as often as you should. Bacteria and food particles can build up in your mouth, causing odor as the bacteria works on the food. This bacterial buildup can lead to gum inflammation (gingivitis) or gum disease (periodontitis). Dry mouth can also be a … Continue reading →

The Dentist Who Punched Me

It seems unbelievable, but it’s true. When I was a young girl, my mother took me to the dentist to have a cavity filled. I was probably seven or so, and terrified. For some reason, parents were not invited into the examination room, and my mother—rest her soul—was too timid to insist. I remember whining and crying in fear as the dentist tried to do his work. There was no assistant in the room. I’m sure I caused the man a great deal of frustration. All of a sudden, he reared his arm back and punched me in my stomach … Continue reading →