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You may wonder to yourself “what makes something mouth-healthy,” or, “how can I tell if something is healthy for my teeth and gums?” Well, below is a list of our favorite vitamins and minerals for healthier teeth and gums.

Calcium 

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and it aids in a number of processes, including building and maintaining strong teeth and bones. Calcium can be found in dairy products like milk and cheese, and we strongly suggest getting calcium from cheese. That’s because cheese has a protein called casein, which is vital for building strong tooth enamel.

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that helps heal gums, and fight gum inflammation. It does this by helping the body produce more collagen, which aids in cell repair and expedites the healing process. You can find vitamin C in citrus fruit like oranges, grapefruit and kiwi. However, all of the fruits are very acidic, so be sure to rinse your mouth out with water after enjoying them.

Magnesium 

Magnesium is a fantastic mineral for overall health, and it plays a critical role in building strong teeth and bones. Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium, which is critical to building strong teeth and tooth enamel. You can find magnesium in nuts, whole grains, beans, seeds and dark leafy vegetables.

Vitamin A 

One of the absolute best vitamins for overall oral health is vitamin A. That’s because it helps keep saliva flowing, which naturally cleans teeth of damaging acids and prevents dry mouth. Vitamin A also promotes the healthy mucous in the mouth that coats cheeks and gums, which makes them less susceptible to infection and disease. Foods that are rich in vitamin A are carrots, eggs, sweet potatoes and fish.

Vitamin D 

Without adequate vitamin D, the healthy power of calcium is severely diminished. Vitamin D acts as a communicator, and signals the intestines to absorb calcium into the bloodstream. Adequate vitamin D and calcium make bones and teeth denser and far stronger, which helps prevent fractures and cracks. You can find vitamin D in eggs, fish and dairy products like cheese and fortified milk. 

A Mouth healthy Diet is Critical to Oral Health 

One of the best ways to care for your teeth and mouth is by getting the right nutrition. Visit our office to talk more about the importance of a mouth-healthy diet, and how the right diet can improve your family’s oral health.  

Thanksgiving gives families the chance to travel across the country to visit loved ones from afar, and enjoy collecting around a table to eat an incredible feast. If your family is traveling this Thanksgiving, be sure that everyone packs the right oral health kit to take care of their teeth while away from home. 

1 - Tooth Brush & Travel Case

Everyone should brush their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time. When traveling, buy a small travel case or cover for the toothbrush to keep the head clean and the bristles in good shape while it is stowed away.

2 - Tooth Paste

You can’t really brush your teeth without toothpaste, so toothpaste is a must for any traveler. Look for a travel-sized tube that can easily fit in a small storage bag, and check to make sure that the toothpaste contains has the ADA seal of approval. Finally, children should avoid whitening toothpaste, which can contain harmful abrasives that can scrub away enamel.

3 – Dental Floss

Brushing only cleans about 1/3 of the total surface area of teeth, which leaves most of the teeth unclean. When creating your tooth care kit, pack dental floss and make sure to floss once per day, and clean between every space in their teeth. You can purchase travel floss, or a set of floss picks for easy flossing on-the-go. 

4 – Tools For Oral Appliances

Oral appliances require special care to keep them clean of food debris, and operating properly. If you or a family member has an oral appliance, be sure that they pack a proxabrush, which is a tool designed to clean teeth and oral appliances. Proxabrushes are similar to toothbrushes and have a cone-shaped head with fine bristles.  

Also, those with oral appliances can floss their teeth with the help of a floss threader, which provides a way to floss behind brackets and in-between teeth, where food debris constantly gets stuck.

Incorporate Oral Health Into Your Schedule 

Vacations can, surprisingly, be tight on time. When planning a vacation, schedule a 10 to 15-minute window for the whole family to take care of their teeth, every morning and night. By blocking off a time in advance, you set clear expectations with your family that oral health time is serious, and everyone will plan on attending.

Try to make it a fun activity in the morning and the evening with your kids! Talk about what you enjoyed that day and what you’re looking forward to on the rest of your vacation. Having more than one person involved with your brushing routine will give you and your family members more accountability and make you more likely to stick with it. 

The toothbrush was first invented and popularized in Europe, so how did Native Americans care for their teeth before being introduced to the toothbrush? 

Healthy Dietary Practices

The Native Americans were expert hunters and gatherers, and were able to survive completely off of the land. Their diet consisted mostly of corn (maize), beans, squash, fish and game. They would eat this food largely unaltered by spices that were more prominent in Europe. They also ate a lot of fresh fruit and nuts, which help to keep plaque off of teeth! Because of their fresh diet that was high in fiber, Native Americans had surprisingly well-maintained teeth and gums.  

Natural Toothcare Techniques

Native Americans cleaned their teeth by using chewsticks and chewing on fresh herbs to cleanse their teeth and gums. Chewsticks were twigs that had two uses: one end was frayed by a rock and used for brushing, while the other end was sharpened and used as a tooth pick. Native Americans would chew on the frayed end to clean debris from their teeth.  

In addition to chewsticks, early Native Americans would also chew on pine needles to clean debris from their teeth. They also chewed fresh herbs like sage, cucacua and mint to freshen their breath. 

Plenty of Water

Native Americans drank a lot of water before the Spanish arrived in North America. Water is the perfect drink for a healthy mouth because it cleans teeth of food debris, which prevents acid attacks on tooth enamel and keeps cavities at bay. Furthermore, water makes up 99% of saliva, and the mouth uses saliva to clean teeth and maintain a healthy ph balance.  

Keep Thanksgiving Mouth-Healthy

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with your family and eat incredible food, and watch a lot of football. But, you can learn a mouth-health lesson from the original Native Americans: you can improve your thanksgiving meal by adding fibrous fruits and vegetables, which clean teeth as they’re consumed.  

From our office to your family, have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! 

Halloween is such a fun time of year for communities to celebrate the changing season, and for children and families to get into costume. This year, we thought we’d share our favorite Halloween costumes that are all about teeth.

1 - Tooth Fairy 

Our favorite dental character, the Tooth Fairy, makes an excellent costume choice for any young child going trick-or-treating this year! Tooth Fairies get to wear wings, a crown and carry an awesome wand or staff that can also feature a tooth!

2 – Dentist 

Many children admire their dentist! A dentist costume is easy to assemble, and you can make it more fun by grabbing a funny dental facemask. You can buy scrubs for children at most costume stores. 

3 - Teeth 

There wouldn’t be any dentists without teeth! You can buy teeth costumes of all sizes and shapes, and you can accessorize your child’s costume with toothbrushes, dental floss, or toothpaste! 

4 – Vampire 

One of our favorite Halloween characters is the vampire! Vampires make great costumes for kids, and give them the chance to have some fun with sharpened teeth. We advise getting your child an upper mouth guard that features fixed vampire teeth, and avoiding vampire teeth caps, which can become dislodged and accidentally swallowed. 

5 - The Oral Health Family 

Our favorite costumes are ones that get the entire family involved, so why not dress up as the oral healthy family? This themed costume involves you and your children dressing as toothpaste, a toothbrush, a tooth, and floss, or a combination of those four.

Think Mouth-Healthy this Halloween 

Halloween is an excellent time to meet your neighbors, and for your children to gather heaps of candy. But, candy is terrible for teeth, so be sure that you are in charge of their candy consumption, and prevent them from binging on candy or eating candy right before bed. Additionally, make sure that your child maintains a positive oral health routine this holiday season.