Best Superfoods for Dental Health

The idea that some foods are superfoods is one that has really taken off in recent years. Some are praised for their high anti-oxidant content while others are go-to choices because they are packed with essential nutrients. From fighting cancer to stress reduction or weight loss, the list of superfoods and their list of benefits is growing.

Good Nutrition is Directly Tied to Good Dental Health

As a nation, Americans are finally waking up to the fact that diet is a direct link to overall health and well-being. The foods and beverages we eat and drink affects all of the physical systems that make up the human body. Poor nutrition can be linked to a variety of health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and even arthritis. It should come as no surprise then that the foods we eat can either maintain and improve our dental health or destroy it.

Consider the process of eating and digesting food. Next, think of your mouth, teeth, tongue, and gums as the first stop along the "Digestion Highway." Just like a highway sees wear and tear from heavy equipment, eating unhealthy foods inundates your teeth and gums with substances that wear them down and cause decay and disease. In fact, when foods that are full of sugar, acid, salt, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients are consumed, your general health and dental health are likely to suffer.

In its campaign to promote better health for everyone, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which is an agency overseen by he U.S. Department of Agriculture, has created the website ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Here are a few suggestions from the site:

• Of all the food you eat daily, at least half should consist of fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread is preferable over highly processed bleached, white flour and other grains that have been stripped of their nutritive qualities, including fiber
• Low-fat and fat-free dairy products are essential for the development of healthy teeth and bones
• Protein should be lean such as skinless poultry, fish, or lean cuts of beef and pork. Cook it without added fat by baking, grilling, or roasting. A serving of meat should be no larger than a deck of cards. Also try to have several meatless meals a week with non-animal protein sources such as legumes, soy and beans

Please consider what the American Dental Association says "If your nutrition is poor, the first signs often show up in your oral health."

Be sure to check in on your dental health regularly by scheduling appointments with Dr. Simon Melcher at Implant and General Dentistry in Raleigh every six months.  Request an appointment online or call us today at 919-782-0548.

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Rethink Your Drink Campaign

In addition to being a major culprit that contributes to weight gain, poor beverage choices also wreak havoc with your dental health. Many are loaded with corrosive sugars and acids that contribute to severe tooth decay.

At Implant and General Dentistry in Raleigh, we love the Rethink Your Drink campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  They provide nutritional information on typical drinks - and drink serving sizes - that can be very eye opening.

For instance, they show a realistic example of a person who chooses a medium cafe latte made with whole milk with their breakfast, a 20-oz non-diet cola with their lunch, a 16-oz sweetened lemon iced tea in the afternoon, and a 12-oz glass of ginger ale with dinner as adding 796 calories to their day!  Wow - for some of us, that's almost half of our daily recommended caloric intake just for drinks. Check their site to see alternatives that add up to only 155 calories.

Here are some tips from the CDCP on how to choose the best drinks for your overall health.

Learn to be a savvy label reader and go for beverages that have zero to very little added sugar and artificial ingredients. Of course, water is always the best choice, but for those times when H2O won't do, please consider the ingredients and pay close attention to the sugar content.

For ideas about healthier alternatives, review the following suggestions and see if there is any room for improvement where your "go-to" drink options are concerned.

• According to the American Heart Association, "women should limit added sugars to only 100 calories per day (approximately 6 teaspoons), while men should take in no more than 150 calories in sugar (about 9 teaspoons a day)." It was recently revealed that the average American consumes 22 teaspoons a day!  Be on the lookout for these added sugars:
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Honey
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Corn syrup
• Sucrose
• Dextrose
• Make Better Choices:
• Let water be your #1 drink choice
• Try using less or 0 sugar in coffee and tea
• Make a "natural" soda by mixing ½ seltzer with ½ fruit juice
• Try lower calorie and lower glycemic sweeteners like Stevia and Agave syrup
• Keep soda and sugary drinks out of your house-just don't buy them! Instead, chill jugs of water and use lemon slices and fruit or herb filled ice cubes to make H2O a more enticing choice!
• Invest in BPA free water bottles and carry them with you daily
• If you have to have a soda, go for the 8 or 6-ounce size
• At mealtime, set the table with water goblets and fill an attractive pitcher with ice water

By changing just a few habits, you will likely see a big improvement in your overall well being, not to mention your dental health.

If you have questions regarding your dental health, please don't hesitate to contact our Implant and General Dentistry office in Raleigh, NC to schedule an appointment: 919-782-0548

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Best "Go-To" Snack Choices for Healthy Teeth

Best "Go-To" Snack Choices for Healthy Teeth

It is no secret that some foods are highly beneficial in maintaining and improving our dental health. Some act as "natural toothbrushes," many are loaded with vitamins and minerals that our teeth need to stay healthy, and others simply have a magical combination of ingredients that are naturally good for our teeth. Here's a list of foods that are recommended for their positive impact on teeth and gums. Make sure to include them in your snack stash!

Apples and celery - the hard crunchiness of these serve to clean the teeth, stimulate the gums and promote the flow of saliva, which cleans the mouth even more.

Cheese - It contains casein, which helps strengthen tooth enamel.

Kiwi - Loaded with vitamin C that helps maintain the collagen in the gums, which prevents infections and periodontal disease.

Pears - More fibrous than apples, these luscious fruits can help neutralize the acid on the surface of teeth, helping them stay strong and healthy.

For smart beverage choices, that will benefit your teeth and bones, choose either water or milk (See also: Why Sugary Drinks Should Be Avoided). Water helps keep your mouth, teeth, and gums hydrated and naturally washes away food particles that could lead to tooth decay. The calcium and vitamin D in milk are essential to building strong bones and teeth.


If you have questions or concerns about your diet, nutrition, and dental health, please call our Raleigh office today to schedule a consultation: 919-782-0548

Why Sugary Drinks Should be Avoided

It is estimated that on average, Americans down 45 gallons of soft drinks per year. For many, sodas are the "go to" beverages of choice, and are often mindlessly served at mealtime. In addition to being the #1 cause of the nation's obesity epidemic, sugary drinks wreak havoc with the teeth.

The two main culprits contained in carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks that spell only bad news for our teeth are their high volumes of sugars and acids. Some sodas come with 11 teaspoons of sugar packed into just one 12-ounce serving. The larger 20-ounce bottles can contain close to 20 teaspoons of sugar! Consider individuals who routinely consume 2 to 3 sugary drinks a day-and then reflect on the American Heart Association's guidelines for daily sugar intake:

        "For women it is no more than 5 teaspoons a day and for men, no more than 9 teaspoons a day. Each teaspoon of sugar contains 4 grams of sugar. According to the AHA, kids should have no more than 3 teaspoons of sugar a day."

Please do not think that sugar-free choices or artificially sweetened beverages are an alternative. In addition to numerous questionable, artificial and unpronounceable ingredients, they are also filled with acids. The added acids and sugars in these drinks mix together with your mouth's naturally occurring acids and the combination is too much for your teeth to handle. The sugar-laden acids destroy the tooth enamel and over time cause decay and pitting of the teeth.

Sports drinks, iced tea, lemonade, and fitness water are no better! Along with significant amounts of sugar, they also contain additives and organic acids that are extremely erosive to the teeth and gums. Recent studies have revealed that non-carbonated drinks and sports drinks are 5 to 10 times more likely than soft drinks to cause enamel damage and cavities.

The bottom line is to avoid such beverages all together. If that is impossible for you, limit your consumption to no more than a 12-ounce serving and brush and use a dental rinse immediately afterwards. The best choice for improving and maintaining your overall health is to make water your #1 beverage choice!

For more information, visit Rethink Your Drink from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you have concerns about your dental health or nutrition habits that may be affecting your teeth, please call our office in Raleigh for a consultation: 919-782-0548

Tips to Reduce the Risk of Cavities

It seems that there are a few lucky folks who inherit great genes when it comes to their teeth. They may never have any serious issues if they follow their dentist's guidelines for brushing, flossing and regular check-ups. However, there are many more individuals who must pay careful attention to maintaining their dental health.

Whether it is a matter of diet, genes, environment or other health issues that place some of us in more jeopardy when it comes to tooth decay, there are a few simple steps that will reduce the risk of cavities.

• Frequent Brushing - Brushing after every meal and snack is not just something to encourage small children to do! Establish this habit now for a lifetime of better dental health.
• Avoid Snacking Between Meals - Snacking between meals can be detrimental to your teeth and gums. Problems arise because snacks are often not a "whole food" or nutritionally sound choice, and brushing afterwards rarely happens. That's why it is best to avoid between meal snacking entirely. Hungry? Drink water!
• Stay Away from Sugary Foods and Drinks - Sugar is lurking everywhere! In addition to common white sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are over 20 possible added sugars that may be in your food! This includes naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables. They all  present problems for the teeth. Sugars have the tendency to adhere to teeth and the bacteria in your mouth combines with these sugars and releases acid, which is the main cause of tooth decay. It's so simple - stay away from sugary foods and drinks! If you must have them, brush, floss, and rinse immediately afterwards.
• Drink Water! Rely on basic, unprocessed food and beverage choices for your meals and snacks. Water is hands down the beverage of choice.

Preventing cavities through good nutrition and excellent dental habits is your best bet to maintaining a beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime.  Call Dr. Simon Melcher at Implant and General Dentistry today to schedule an appointment with the dentist and dental hygienist: 919-782-0548

Nutrition and Your Dental Health

Taking excellent care of your teeth and gums requires much more than regular brushing and flossing. When you view your set of teeth as your body's food processor, it should become more apparent that the foods you eat play a major role in your dental health. Just like there are certain foods that can wreak havoc on a food-processing appliance, the same holds true for your teeth!

A healthy diet comprised of whole foods as opposed to packaged or processed choices plays a key role, not only in maintaining your dental health, but the health of your entire body. Try to eat a diet that is heavy on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats and fish. Always be on the lookout for snacks and beverages that fit into one of those basic categories. With all processed food there is the almost guaranteed risk of added fat, sugar, sodium, refined flour, and artificial ingredients, such as colors and flavorings. To avoid sabotaging a healthy diet, learn to read and understand food labels and ingredient lists. Just like bad gas can ruin a car's engine, what you eat and drink directly impacts your dental and overall health. Other things to consider when making good choices for your teeth and gums are:

• What form is the food in? Will it stick to your teeth, stain them or linger between them, causing bacterial growth and possible decay?
• Sugar and acid are present in many beverages, including milk, fruit juices and soft drinks. Even sugars and acids that occur naturally are linked to tooth decay and should be consumed rarely. Water is always the beverage of choice.
• If you can't brush after each meal or snack, remember to eat something that can help clean around the teeth, such as an apple, celery, or carrot. Or drink a cup of plain herbal tea because flavonoids and other ingredients in tea seem to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to teeth, and also block production of a type of sugar that contributes to cavities. Tea also contains high amounts of fluoride.

It is up to you to look after your body! In addition to regular brushing, flossing, and visits to your dentist and family doctor, take charge by:

• Becoming familiar with what constitutes a healthy diet
• Prepare meals with whole food ingredients, not overly and artificially processed items

Visit these sites to learn more about adopting a healthy diet for you and your whole family: choosemyplate.gov and fda.gov/food.

Contact Dr. Simon Melcher and the staff at Implant & General Dentistry in Raleigh to schedule your next appointment: 919-782-0548.