215-493-9325Sharing a healthy smile can bring joy to loved ones and strangers alike. It brightens the mood of those you smile with as well as your own mood, and it can boost your self-confidence! Our wish for the new year is to help you experience the joys of a healthy, appealing smile.
Keeping your mouth healthy means practicing good daily oral hygiene by brushing and flossing without skipping a day, no matter how busy you are or whether you are traveling and celebrating with loved ones. Giving the gift of a healthy smile also has long-lasting, life-altering benefits. Check out these tips for your oral health New Year’s Resolution!
Drinks to avoid
– Dark colored drinks can stain teeth (think coffee, tea and red wine). Red wine has enamel-damaging acid and staining tannins, and white wine has even more acid than red wine, causing enamel erosion and leading to tooth discoloration and staining.
– Hot chocolate often loaded with sugar and marshmallows that lead to tooth decay and cavities.
– Soda is sugar-laden and highly acidic. Limit your teeth’s exposure to these beverages, and drink plenty of water to keep your mouth hydrated for healthy, cavity-fighting saliva levels.
Foods to limit
Avoid sticky treats like caramel corn and toffee that stick to your teeth. Plaque can feed off their sugary residue, creating damaging acids that wear down tooth enamel and cause cavities.
All hard candies, including candy canes, peppermints can crack a weak tooth or even break a filling. In addition, their high sugar content can cause cavities. Toffee and peanut brittle are both hard and chewy, which can chip a tooth. Even candied nuts are risky to your teeth because they are hard and full of sugar.
Foods that are good for your teeth
– Serve all the turkey and ham you and your family love. Both have healthy protein, and while turkey has phosphorus, ham has potassium that allows your pearly whites to utilize calcium more efficiently.
– Cheeses like Monterey Jack, cheddar, Brie, Camembert, Roquefort and Gorgonzola are loaded with calcium and protein, and they neutralize acidity in your mouth to protect against cavities.
– Soft nuts like cashews, walnuts, butternuts, hickory nuts, pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts are high in calcium and protein and low in sugar.
– Create a colorful raw vegetable platter loaded with vibrant crunchy carrots, celery, radishes, broccoli, bell peppers. Have salads made with leafy greens like kale, spinach, or collard greens to nurture teeth and gums.
– Fruit platters are delicious and good for desserts! Fresh, colorful fruit like apples, pears, grapes and kiwis that do not stick to teeth are especially good in a fruit salad.
Gifts for the New Year
Share your resolution for a healthy smile with your loved ones giving gifts throughout the year that keep teeth healthy and strong! Some tooth friendly gift-giving ideas include:
– Sugar-free gum that tempts the taste buds.
– Floss picks to help that person who needs to floss more.
– Electric toothbrush with cartoon characters or fun colors for kids or tasteful aesthetics for teens and adults.
– Take-home teeth whitening kits for teens and adults.
– Mouth guard for the athletic child, teen or adult in your life.
– Fun toothbrush case for traveling or sleepover-loving kids.
– Gift certificate for in-office whitening or Invisalign or orthodontic treatment.
We at Dr. Prezioso’s office wish you and yours a happy 2023! We look forward to seeing you in the new year and working with you for your healthy smile and new year’s resolution!