Cosmetic Dentistry

Serve Crunchy Foods

Potato chips are easy to grab, but did you now that those crunched up chips settle in the pits of your teeth and cavity causing bacteria make a feast of your teeth.  Chop up some apples and pears for a fruit platter, or stock cleaned veggies like carrots, celery, and raw broccoli for snacking.  These “crunchy” vegetables are like natural toothbrushes, scrubbing off build-up and stimulating saliva to wash away what’s left.

Dairy Foods

Add some cheese to your fruit plate and make delicious dips for those crunchy veggies from low sugar yogurt.  Dairy products are rich in calcium and phosphorous which strengthen and protect enamel.  Eating more dairy may lower your chances for developing gum disease.

Toothpicks

When you serve foods that get caught between teeth, you may need something to help remove it after the meal.  The problem with toothpicks is that they can splinter leaving wood pieces between your teeth and they can pierce the gums, giving bacteria an entrance to do their damage.  Instead, keep soft, flexible, wooden plaque removers on hand.

Ice

There’s little more refreshing on a hot day than a cold iced drink, but if you tend to chew ice, you’re not doing your teeth any favors.  Chewing on hard foods such as ice can lead to broken teeth and enamel damage.  Instead of ice cubes, use crushed ice in glasses.

Drinks

Sodas and sports drinks may taste refreshing, but they are deadly to your teeth and gums.  All that sugar just makes the bad bacteria sing and shout for joy.  The chemicals and sugars in soft drinks eat away at your teeth and aren’t good for the rest of you either.  Opt for sugar free drinks like Zevia that sweetens with stevia.  You can also make water taste better by infusing it with crushed low sugar fruit like blueberries.  Go easy on lemons and limes as the acid in them can erode enamel.