Even with a busy summer planned, how can you keep your smile bright and healthy? Here are a few essential tips to maintain your oral health on the go!

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated isn’t just beneficial for your body—it’s excellent for your smile too! Drinking water helps flush food particles out of your mouth and prevent them from sticking to your teeth, which can lead to plaque formation and tooth enamel damage.

Drinking water also supports hydration, which prevents dry mouth. Your saliva plays a crucial role in protecting your teeth from bacteria, so preventing dry mouth goes a long way towards keeping your breath fresh, your teeth clean, and your smile healthy [1]!

Use Sugarless Gum

If you’re traveling this summer and aren’t in your regular routine or forget to brush your teeth, sugarless gum is immensely helpful. Chewing sugar-free gum increases saliva production, and saliva acts as a buffer between your teeth and harmful bacteria. Chewing sugarless gum can actually help prevent cavities while keeping your breath fresh [2].

Excellent for after meals or those rushed mornings when you forget to brush your teeth, keeping sugarless gum handy is a great way to support your oral health on the go!

Pack Healthy Snacks

What you eat can influence your oral health just as much as your brushing and flossing routine.

By skipping sugary foods and drinks, you can help keep your teeth healthy this summer. When going on a trip or even for your snack at work, pack healthy choices such as apples, carrots, and celery. These crunchy foods have a high water content and can help hydrate you while reducing plaque formation on your teeth throughout the day [3].

Healthy summer treats to enjoy this season include melon such as cantaloupe and watermelon, blueberries, homemade frozen yogurt, blackberries, and apricots!

Don’t Neglect Your Brushing and Flossing!

Although each of these activities is excellent for your smile, they should never replace your home care habits for your teeth and gums. You should still brush twice a day and floss once a day, and continue to keep your regular checkups with your dentist.

What do you have planned for this summer? Whether you’re going on a vacation or staying put for a staycation, keep your smile healthy during this busy time of year with the above tips!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/nutrition/food-tips/water-best-beverage
2. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/chewing-gum
3. http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-

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1. Drinking Seltzer Water

Many people consider seltzer water, sometimes referred to as sparkling water, as a healthier alternative to soda.

While sparkling water with no added sugar can be better than soda in some instances, it’s still infused with carbon dioxide to give it bubbles. However, this carbon dioxide turns into carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the drink.

What this means is that whereas regular water typically has a pH of around 7, seltzer water has a pH of around 3-4 [1]. Some sodas have a pH of as low as 2, which is extremely acidic, but seltzer water isn’t as much of a healthier choice as people think.

2. Brushing Your Teeth Too Hard

Your tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body, but it can still be damaged from acidic foods and drinks, bacteria, and yes, even brushing your teeth too hard!

Brushing aggressively isn’t necessary to remove plaque from your teeth. Take the time to brush each tooth and floss and harsh brushing won’t be necessary. And remember to choose a toothbrush with soft bristles to further minimize damage to your tooth enamel!

3. Mouth Breathing

Breathing through your mouth can be damaging to your tooth enamel, especially when done on a regular basis. In fact, mouth breathing can promote gum disease and tooth decay [2]! People may breathe through their mouths when snoring, exercising, or just out of habit. Regardless, take steps to curb this harmful habit, which can dry out your mouth and promote bacteria that cause oral disease.

4. Snacking

Constantly exposing your oral cavity to snacks throughout the day can damage your tooth enamel. Snacking is fine, but try to limit your snacks so that you aren’t consistently eating.

When we eat food, our mouths begin to break down the food through bacteria and saliva. But eating too frequently or eating the wrong kinds of foods can harm teeth. When you do snack, choose healthy options such as apples or carrots!

5. Not Addressing Acid Reflux

If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), otherwise known as acid reflux, it’s important to have this condition under control. Not only can acid reflux be harmful to your stomach and esophagus—it can be extremely damaging to teeth.

For some patients with acid reflux, harsh stomach acids can travel up the esophagus and end up in the oral cavity, where they can wreak havoc on teeth. These acids can wear away tooth enamel, leading to tooth sensitivity, discoloration, cavities, and even tooth loss [3].

Did you know any of these five things could hurt your teeth? Be mindful when taking care of your smile. By protecting your teeth and gums with regular healthy habits, you can smile bright for life!

Sources:
1. https://cspinet.org/tip/your-seltzer-habit-harming-your-teeth
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/oral-health/does-breathing-through-my-mouth-affect-my-dental-health
3. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/e/tooth-erosion-and-acid-reflux

The post 5 Ways You’re Hurting Your Teeth (And Don’t Know It!) appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

While eating, your mouth produces saliva to help you chew and swallow food. Saliva also helps
to prevent plaque from building up in the oral cavity. With snacking, this isn’t quite the case.
Constantly exposing your mouth to acids from food can hurt your teeth.

How exactly does snacking impact your oral health? The answer may surprise you!

Snacking Increases Your Risk for Tooth Decay

Since saliva plays an important role in protecting our teeth, lack thereof can increase your risk
for tooth decay. People who experience dry mouth are at higher risk for tooth decay, but so are
those who snack frequently.

Constantly nibbling on food doesn’t give your body a chance to produce the adequate amount
of saliva needed to neutralize acids from what you’re eating. When you snack instead of eating
a full meal, you could be increasing your risk for tooth decay and not realize it.

Processed Foods Can Attack Tooth Enamel

Unfortunately, snacks often include highly processed foods which contain added sugars and
carbohydrates. These kinds of foods—think granola bars, potato chips, or cookies—not only
stick to your teeth, but can actually start eroding tooth enamel while they take their time to
dissolve!

Foods that are high in carbohydrates such as these are more likely to cause sensitive teeth and
tooth decay due to the fact that they attack tooth enamel. Processed foods can also promote
inflammation such as that which is present in gum disease. When you snack on processed
foods, you could be harming your teeth and gums instead of waiting to eat a meal or choosing
healthier snacks.

What Can You Do?

First, reducing the amount of time that you snack is going to be important for your oral health.
It’s ok to have occasional snacks throughout the day, but be choosy about what you eat and
make a point not to constantly nibble on food.

Limiting sugary snack foods to meals can also help you maintain better oral health instead of
eating sugar in between meals when your saliva production is going to be lower. Reducing your
intake of processed foods and foods with added sugar is going to benefit you as well.

When you do decide to snack, be sure to drink plenty of water. Water can help replenish your
saliva and maintain a barrier between harmful bacteria and your tooth enamel.

And as always, follow up with your dentist. Getting professional cleanings removes plaque and
bacteria that toothbrushes and floss can’t always get rid of. By keeping up with your checkups,
you can give your smile its best chance to be healthy!

You don’t have to give up snacking to have a great smile—just reduce the number of snacks you
have per day and always follow best practices when doing so. By eating healthier snacks such as
whole foods and reducing the amount of processed foods you eat in addition to drinking water,
you can set your mouth up for some healthy snacking time!

The post How Is Snacking Impacting Your Oral Health? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Whether you want to help your kids take better care of their oral health or if you just want to
enjoy some teeth-friendly snacks, the following options are sure to make your summer (and
your smile) shine all season long!

Fresh Fruit

Summer offers an array of fruits that are in season. The natural sugar in these fruits is different
from refined sugars—their high water content and fiber makes them a healthy snack for your
teeth as well as your body.

Get creative when eating fruit this summer, especially if you have kids in tow! Try making:

 Sorbet. From frozen strawberries and fresh lime juice to bananas and cherries, simply
blend and enjoy!

 Frozen fruit bars. These tasty bars are easy when you have a popsicle mold and some
fresh pureed fruit.

 A fruit salad. Try grapes, cherries, peaches, kiwis, pineapple, and strawberries.
Whatever your kids are crazy about!

 Fruit kabobs. Have your kids make their own fruit kabobs, or, you can try fruit and
cheese kabobs for an extra calcium boost.

 A fruit necklace. Your kids will love making these (and eating them too)!

 Fruit pizza. Use watermelon as a base for this “pizza” and have your kids top with their
favorite fruits!

Sundried Tomato Hummus and Veggies

Give your hummus a summer vibe with sundried tomatoes. Add about a quarter cup of
sundried tomatoes to your favorite hummus recipe and enjoy! The crunchy veggies you can
enjoy with hummus—including carrots, celery, cucumber, and green pepper—can actually help
clean your teeth and get rid of plaque.

Do you live with picky eaters? Try having kids make a cup filled with their favorite vegetables
that they can use to eat the hummus or make veggie “pictures” on a tray and then decorate
with hummus for a custom hummus plate!

Frozen Yogurt Bark

This twist on frozen yogurt adds nuts and seeds for extra protein, fruit, and fiber while you and
your kids enjoy the calcium and probiotics of yogurt. To make frozen yogurt bark, simply spread
yogurt onto a layer of parchment paper, have kids add their toppings (or add your favorites!)
and freeze.

Once firm, break apart and eat quickly—this snack will melt fast! If you or your kids are lactose
intolerant, you can try cashew milk yogurt, coconut milk yogurt, or soy milk yogurt for similar
results. For toppings, you can add almonds, blueberries, blackberries, or chia seeds for
something fun and different!

You can enjoy all summer has to offer with these fun and unique snacks you and your kids are
bound to love. Your teeth will reap the benefits of extra hydration from fruits, scrubbing action
from vegetables with hummus, and calcium from frozen yogurt. Enjoy them while they
last—soon summer will be gone!

The post Healthy Summer Snacks Your Teeth (And Your Kids) Will Love appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

While watching your favorite team, of course your smile is one of the last things on your mind. Fortunately for sports fans everywhere, there are plenty of snacks that are actually good for your teeth. The following snack ideas are some of the best foods for your teeth on game day, so munch on!

Raw Veggies with Hummus

Whether you make your own hummus or pick up some at the store, this popular dip pairs great with raw vegetables to make a healthy Super Bowl snack. Hummus is made from chickpeas which are a good source of folic acid. Folic acid not only combats gum inflammation, but also makes teeth more resistant to dental plaque.

Raw crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery, peppers, and cucumbers make great additions to your hummus plate. These vegetables also help clean your teeth, as their crunchiness can actually “scrub” plaque away while you’re eating!

Seven-Layer Dip

Who doesn’t love seven-layer dip? Swapping out sour cream for plain Greek yogurt can provide calcium and probiotics for a brilliant smile. Although the tomatoes in this dish are acidic, the cheese helps to create a more neutral environment. Peppers like jalapeño and citrus fruits such as lime are high in vitamin C, which can help reduce inflammation in the mouth. Eating this dip with vegetables has even more benefits. Borrow some veggies from the hummus tray rather than reaching for chips for a stellar smile!

Meat and Cheese Tray

The classic meat and cheese tray contains a variety of meats and cheeses to be a heartier snack during the game. The cheese is what can really help your smile, as the calcium and protein in these tasty wedges of goodness can strengthen teeth and make them more resistant to decay.

Although crackers aren’t the best choice for teeth, eating cheese and crackers on game day is fine as long as you drink water. Softer crackers can often stick to teeth and encourage bacteria growth, so sip away!

Fruit Salad

Making a fruit salad for a sports gathering not only provides a healthier dish for people watching their weight, but also gives people with dietary restrictions a safe zone to enjoy nourishing fruits. This easy-to- make dish helps your smile too!

Fruits such as apples can help decrease plaque and promote fresh breath by increasing saliva production. Other fruits like oranges and kiwi are vitamin C powerhouses, which promote excellent gum health. Enjoy a bowl of fruit salad during the game for gum and teeth health.

Sitting back and watching sports is a great way to spend time with family and friends. During this fun time, you can choose snacks that’ll promote excellent oral health. Foods like cheeses (yes, nachos count!), raw vegetables, hummus, and fruit can promote a healthy smile during game time. Happy watching!

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