Smile-Survival Tips to Get Your Teeth Through the Holiday Spread

Turkey, gingerbread, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire – it is obvious that food is important over the holidays. One of the central components of a big seasonal celebration is the holiday spread. Many people submit to packing on a few extra pounds over the holidays, but indulging doesn't have to mean trouble for your teeth as well. Read on for some simple guidelines to help steer you towards the spread's smile-friendly offerings. 

• Say cheese! Most respectable holiday gatherings will include the customary cheese-and-cracker tray. Holiday snackers will be happy to hear that cheese gets the nod of approval from the Woodbridge Dental team, as its calcium-rich nutrient profile promotes tooth health, while also creating an ideal PH balance in your mouth to offset the damages wrought by wine's acidity. 

• Nut-up for the holidays. When your hands are hovering over the snack bar, try to resist the chips and candies. Instead, encourage a move towards the obligatory bowl of mixed nuts. Packed with calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, iron, and much more, nuts are a great dietary choice for oral health, and will fill you up quickly so that you can resist the sugary snacks. 

• Eat your vegetables. Forget the holidays – most party spreads in general are incomplete without crudités, the traditional French appetizer made up of an array of raw chopped veggies served with a dipping sauce. Broccoli and carrots promote strong oral health because their vitamin A-rich nutrient profile builds strong enamel, and because chomping on raw veggies both cleans your teeth and stimulates healthy blood flow. 

Top Take-Away to Avoid For Tooth Health

The cold Canadian winter has settled over us now, and as the days begin to shorten, so too does our patience for cooking. Nothing can sap your motivation to fire up the stove and launch into home-cooked meal preparation quite like arriving home in the dark and cold. Similarly, the snow-slicked roads have discouraged many people from making the drive out to their favourite restaurant, making take-out food a very appealing option. Italian, Indian, and Chinese fare is only a phone call away, and can be ordered from under a particularly cozy blanket. Before you make the call, though, have you ever considered how these foods rank in terms of their effect on your oral health? Read on to see how international fare stacks up in your dentist's eyes! 

Italian food - a perfect storm to wreak oral health havoc!

Commonly comprised of white dough-based pasta and pizza slathered in rich and acidic tomato sauces, Italian food can be trouble for your mouth's condition if eaten carelessly. White dough is a highly-refined carbohydrate that is predominantly made up of simple sugars. Worse still, their high gluten consistency puts every chewy bite at risk of getting lodged between teeth, putting the sugars in prime problem areas. Adding to the risk, the acid content of tomato sauce can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel. If you are in the mood for Italian this evening, be sure to floss away the gummy high-gluten sugars, and to brush away acidic tomato residue. 

Indian and Chinese – sweet, salty, and spicy tooth-staining tyrants!

Everybody knows the staining potential of wine, tea, and coffee, but did you know that any pigment-rich foods risk discolouring your smile? Curry powder is a prime suspect in serial teeth-staining cases, with its deep yellow, red, and green hue. Richly-coloured sauces, whether they be an orange-red sweet-and-sour, or a simply black soy, are both highly likely to stain teeth. Keep a glass of water handy for rinsing, and try to choose an appetizer of cruciferous greens like beef-and-broccoli or a spinach dish, as these vegetables form protective layers on the teeth that can ward off staining. 

Canker-sores

Canker-sores are also known as aphthous ulcers, they usually appear inside he cheeks and lips, at the base of the gums and sometimes under or on the tongue.

The cause for canker-sores is still unknown but people who have nutritional deficiencies of folic acid, B12 and iron seem to develop them more often. Sometimes canker-sores point to an immune system problem.

Canker-sores appear as round open sores that are usually white or yellowish gray in colour with a red ring surrounded it. They are usually small and shallow. Most of the time there will be a singular canker-sore, but the possibility of a small cluster does exist.

On average, canker-sores take 2 weeks to heal. They are fairly painful for the first few days but the pain will diminish slowly. They heal on their own, without any scarring. If your child complains about pain then over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen can help. There are also topical anesthetics and antimicrobial mouthwashes than can provide your child with temporary relief.

Some tips on caring for your child's canker-sore;

• Avoid abrasive foods like nuts or potato chips which irritate gums and mouth tissue.
• Avoid spicy,salty or acid foods – lemons, tomatoes
• Brush their teeth with a soft-bristle toothbrush and be gentle
• Brush and rinse their teeth with pastes and mouthwashes that dont have SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate)

Although canker-sores can be a pain to deal with, most of them are not a big problem. Your child may be uncomfortable if they get a canker-sore, but if you teach them how to properly care for them and reduce any pain then they will be prepared.

Childrens Teeth & Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral found in soil, fresh and salt water as well as various foods. Fluoride from drinking water and in toothpaste can help to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. Fluoride has positive effect on oral health, but there are many questions about fluoride and how it can help children.

Why do children need fluoride?

Fluoride intake is important. Bacteria in the mouth combines with sugars and create an acid. This acid chews away at the enamel of your child's teeth. Fluoride helps to protect teeth in two ways - protects from demineralization by protecting teeth from this acid, and remineralizes the enamel by strengthening it. Although fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can help prevent new ones.

When should my child use fluoridated toothpaste?

Children over 2 years old should use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, but it should have the Canadian Dental Associations seal of approval to ensure levels of fluoride are safe. Children that are younger than 6 should be supervised when brushing to make sure they are spitting out the toothpaste not swallowing it. Any child under age 6 should not be using fluoridated mouth washes unless your dentist approves it.

What are other sources of fluoride?

The water that comes out of your sink tap has been fluoridated. The fluoride in the water helps reduce tooth decay by almost 40%. Fluoride is also found is food and beverages. Make sure your child is eating a healthy balanced diet that has lots of calcium and vitamin D.

Decay Prevention Tips – Developing Teeth

• Do not share saliva with your baby. Avoid licking their pacifiers, pre-chewing their food or sharing spoons.
• After every feeding ensure you are wiping baby's gums with a clean and damp washcloth. This will assist in plaque removal.
• When the first sign of teeth start poking through the gums, brush them gently with a childrens toothbrush and a very small amount of toothpaste.
• Help brush your child's teeth until around age 8 when they can do it themselves. When they brush alone, supervise them making sure they brush thoroughly and spit out the toothpaste after.
• Only put formula, breast milk or water in bottles for baby. Infants should not be put to bed with a bottle.
• If your child uses a pacifier do not dip it in anything sweet such as sugar, honey or other sweet liquids. Use a clean one every time.
• By your child's 1st birthday, try to encourage them to drink from a cup. Try avoiding using sippy cups with sweetened drinks.
• You know the benefits of eating healthy, so encourage healthy eating habits for your child. A diet with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains.
• During snack time serve nutritious snacks, and try to limit sweets to mealtimes.
• Talk to your dentist to make sure your child is getting the right amount of fluoride needed.

If you have any questions, or concerns call Woodbridge Kids today and set up an appointment.

The History of Toothpaste

Around 5000BC is when Egyptians started using paste to clean their teeth, this is even before the invention of toothbrushes. The Greeks and Romans have used toothpaste, and people in China and India began using it around 500BC.

In the past, ancient toothpastes were created to treat the same concerns we have nowadays – to keep our gums and teeth clean, white and having fresh breath. A drastic difference between the toothpaste of our time and back then is the ingredients. Some ingredients that were used include ox hoof powder, ashes, and burn eggshells that were combined with a pumice.

 

Greeks and Romans liked their paste more abrasive so they added crushed bones and oyster shells. The Romans added more flavour to help with bad breath including powdered charcoal and bark. In China they added a variety of substances over time including ginseng, salt and herbal mints.

 

More modern toothpastes started in the 1800's. The ingredients around that time included soap, and chalk. Ground charcoal and betel nuts were used as well. Before the 1850's toothpastes were actually powders. Around the 1970's Colgate began to mass produce toothpaste in jars, and as an actual paste. The tube toothpaste was introduced in the 1890's.

 

In 1914, toothpastes were formulated to treat or prevent specific diseases like tooth sensitivity. Fluoride was introduced to help prevent decay, and toothpaste with low abrasiveness were developed to help prevent any issues caused by overzealous brushing.

 

We have advanced toothpaste to help us battle plaque, gum disease, caries, bad breath and to help whiten teeth. Toothpaste has come a long way, so don't forget how important it is to brush!

Gummy Vitamins & Safety

For people that have a vitamin deficiency, or finicky children with diets that are inadequate there are vitamins in the form of gummies. Gummy vitamins look like candy gummies, and taste good too. They provide children (or adults) with additional nutritional support. Gummies provide the same support as the chewable vitamins but considering their close resemblance to candy, they pose more of a risk of overdose and possible vitamin toxicity.

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds that are essential for growth, nutrition and helps your body to perform tasks of daily life. They are only required in certain quantities because they cannot be synthesized by the body. If your diet is lacking certain vitamins, then by taking gummies you are ensuring an adequate amount for daily needs.

Vitamin Toxicity
There are vitamins that when consumed in excess, leave leftovers that store themselves in fatty tissues, making toxicity more common. These vitamins include A, D, E and K, fat soluble vitamins.

Other vitamins including C, B(6 and 12), riboflavin, folate and niacin are water soluble. This means if you consume an excess amount of there, they are eliminated through urine. The risk of toxicity is reduced greatly.

Gummies and Teeth
The sticky and glutinous texture of gummies assist them in clinging to tooth enamel. It is likely they will get stuck in-between teeth as well as in the grooves of teeth. Bacteria like to feed on the sugar in the gummies and after 20 minutes that bacteria creates enamel-destroying acid.

If you are going to give your child gummy vitamins, give it to them with meals or before daily brushing to minimize the effects of the bacteria.