How You Can Eat and Drink Your Way to Better Dental Health

We all know that brushing and flossing helps maintain our teeth, but did you know that these foods and beverages can also help with dental health?

Cheese - Cheese can reduce levels of acid in our mouths.

Tea - Polyphenols, which are found in black and green teas, slow the growth of bacteria that causes gum disease and cavities.

Milk - Milk lowers the level of acid in the mouth.

Raisins - Raisins contain phytochemicals, which may kill cavity-causing plaque bacteria.

Cranberries - Just like tea, cranberries have polyphenols, which may prevent plaque from sticking to teeth.

Gum - As long as it's sugarless, gum creates more saliva, which clears away bacteria.

Five Foods that Help Stop Bad Breath

There are certainly plenty of foods that cause bad breath, but did you know that these five foods can help fight it?

Cheese and yogurt - Cheese can help neutralize acids and unsweetened yogurt can reduce hydrogen sulfide, both of which can cause bad breath.

Sugarless gum and candy - Both increase saliva which helps to reduce odor.

Tea - The polyphenols in green and black teas prevent the growth of bacteria.

Water - A dry mouth can be rather odorous, but as long as you stay hydrated, you won't have to worry about it.

Crunchy foods - Foods such as apples and carrots act as teeth scrubbers, helping to remove any leftover food particles.

Fun Fact Friday

Fun Fact Friday: Out of all of the teeth in your mouth, wisdom teeth often spark the most discussion and controversy. So this week, we’re giving you five fun and interesting facts about your wisdom teeth!

a) Wisdom teeth are actually called, “third molars” or “late-blooming molars.”

b) In most instances, wisdom teeth have to be removed to avoid overcrowding.

c) Stem cells can actually be harvested from your wisdom teeth!

d) It is estimated that only about 35% of people don’t develop wisdom teeth.

e) While the average person has four wisdom teeth, it is possible to have more or even less than four.

How to Make Flossing Fun for Your Kids

The best way to become a consistent flosser is to start early. Here are three ways you can make flossing fun for your kids:

Make it a game - Turn flossing into a story or a song and your kids will be excited to do it.

Give them cool tools - Let your kids pick out their own tools, like brightly colored floss sticks, and they'll be more eager to use them.

Show their progress - You can put up a chart in the bathroom that tracks their success and give out prizes or rewards.

Any other ideas to get kids flossing? Let us know!