Tag: brush

Thanksgiving Foods to Smile About

Nov, 20, 2018

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Eating Season, with feasts, leftovers, and of course, desserts! As always, brushing is key protecting your family’s teeth. Make sure to stick to your established brushing routines even though eating patterns maybe different than usual.

But there are also other ways to make your gatherings and meals better for both teeth and overall health. Consider alternative recipes for making old favorites, or starting a new food tradition by serving something entirely different. Here are some options to consider:

Sweet Potatoes

These are a Thanksgiving staple for many families, but traditional preparation often includes up to a cup of brown sugar, plus sticky marshmallow topping. Why not try a different, healthier take this year by roasting instead? Toss your cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, honey, and cinnamon and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Honey blends differently with vegetables than processed sweetener, and helps bring out the natural sweetness without coating teeth in sugar.

Cranberry Sauce

You really can’t do Thanksgiving without it, but canned varieties and many traditional recipes contain excessive amounts of — you guessed it — sugar. Not that we dentists don’t love cranberries… research suggests that they inhibit the formation of glucan, the sticky molecular foundation that plaque uses to collect on your teeth. For a healthier alternative, the website WellnessMama.com has a no-refined-sugar recipe that is a tasty way to get your annual cranberry fix.

Fruits & Veggies

These should always be a go-to snack, and holidays are no different! Blogs and social media sites are great sources for creative presentation ideas to get kids engaged with healthier holiday snacking. We’ve shown a few of our recent easy favorites from Pinterest above.

Whatever is on your plate, all of us at Meyer & Johns Dental are thankful to be your dental care home, and wish you a safe, festive Thanksgiving holiday.

New Year’s Dental Resolutions That We WISH Everyone Made

Jan, 2, 2018

As we begin the New Year, almost half of Americans will make a New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately, 80 percent of those resolutions will fall by the wayside within six weeks, according to a U.S. News article. But the good news is that for one out of every five people who make a positive change, they will stick with it long enough to become a habit.

The most common areas targeted for improvement are health-related and include weight loss, healthy eating, exercise and stopping smoking. But if Doctors Meyer and Johns could put together a list of resolutions for our patients, it would include:

Brush and floss daily

Sure, it’s a no-brainer. But we see a lot of patients who aren’t as consistent as they think they are. More than the occasional missed brushing can be the beginning of bad habits.

Pay attention to your gums

As we’ve mentioned, gum disease can be caused by a variety of factors. Make sure you to check for any discoloration or soreness, and point out any problem areas at your next appointment.

Cut the sugar

This may go hand-in-hand with one of your other resolutions. Limiting processed sugar intake is a simple way to improve overall health. Plus, reducing the number of sugary drinks (soda, sports drinks, sweetened/frozen coffees) positively impacts the overall amount of plaque that can accumulate between brushings.

Don’t ignore pain

If you have discomfort in a tooth, gum or jaw, call us! Sudden or persistent pain can be a sign of something seriously wrong in your mouth, so don’t wait to get it checked out.

Whatever your resolution, or even if you don’t make one at all, each of us at Meyer & Johns Dental wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Celebrate safely, and we’ll see you in 2018!

Got a Faker in the house?

Nov, 1, 2017

child's brushing — *Some kids act out by not brushing. Here’s how to spot them.*

Have you ever been surprised by multiple cavities at your child’s dentist visit? You insist that they’ve been brushing their teeth… but are you really sure? After all, just because they stand at the sink with a toothbrush doesn’t necessarily mean they’re brushing well, or even at all. Besides waiting for cavities to show up, how can you check up on your child’s brushing?

Go Old School

Remember those tablets you chewed as a child that colored your teeth pink where there was plaque? Yep, they’re still around. They have been joined by rinses and swabs, each of which highlight spots missed during brushing. All three options are great for locating problem areas, but what they’re really telling you is that you need to…

Establish Good Brushing Habits

We’ve written about it HERE, and specifically for kids HERE. But beyond the mechanics of a child’s brushing, there are things you can do to help engage young kids in the process.

Brush Early – As you know, bedtime can quickly turn into tantrum-time when a child is tired. Don’t let their brushing routine get caught in the cross-fire.
Give them choices – From toothpaste flavors and packaging, to brushes featuring movie characters, there are more options than ever. Let them pick their favorites.
Use a Chart – Just like adults, children get satisfaction from completing tasks. Provide a consistent way for them to visually track their progress
Make it FUN! – Sing while brushing, read a short story or make one up… any two-minute routine will do to entertain without distracting from the job at hand. There even a variety of timer apps that can help keep your little brusher amused and on-task.

If you’re still having trouble, ask at your child’s next regular appointment. We have a few other tricks that may help.

Summer Fruit: How to keep your teeth just as healthy as your diet

Jun, 20, 2017

fruits acids and teeth — *You know to avoid sugary drinks, but even some fresh fruits can impact your teeth.*

Today, June 20, marks the Summer Solstice, signaling the peak season for outdoor activities, including picnics and cookouts. All those smells and tastes may bring back fond summertime memories. But did you know that juicy tomatoes and fresh-squeezed lemonade contain acid that can be hard on your teeth?

While most any fruit or vegetable is a healthy food choice, you should be aware of the effects on your tooth health. Those foods that have high acidity could be damaging, since acid can remain on teeth and break down your tooth enamel, the protective layer on exterior of your teeth.

Fruit Acid

Acid content is measured its pH value, with 7.0 indicating neutral acidity. These pH levels are ranked on a descending scale, so a pH level of 0 indicates the highest acid level. The higher numbers (from 7.0 -14.0) are lowest pH, also classified as “alkaline”, or non-acidic.

The FDA ranks the average acidity of foods, and it turns out that many summer staples made the wrong end of the list. Several of our Meyer & Johns staff’s favorite fresh seasonal fruits are in the Top Ten most-acidic foods, according to Colgate:

Lemon Juice – #1
Limes – #2
Grapes – #5
Blueberries – #8

Click here for the full rankings of acid content for common fresh fruits and vegetables, as published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Solutions

The good news is that there are easy remedies for reducing the residual acid on teeth.

Drink – The simplest solution is the most important – for both physical AND oral health. Drinking plenty of water ensures that any remaining food particles, plaque-causing sugars or residual acids are flushed away. Drinking enough water is also critical for proper hydration during the sweaty summer months.
Dairy – Besides naturally reducing acid in your mouth, milk, cheeses and other dairy products contain calcium and casein (milk protein). Both of these help strengthen teeth and protect your enamel.
Brush – As always, we recommend brushing after meals or sugary snacks. This may not be easy at picnics, cookouts or the lake, but it’s still the most effective way to keep a healthy smile.

If you have questions about how different foods affect your overall oral health, contact us or ask during your next regular visit.