Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Dental Tips for a Teeth-Friendly Holiday


Holiday foods often consist of starchy and sweet dishes that increase plaque buildup.  Plaque buildup can lead to cavities or gingivitis.  Enjoying your traditional favorites in moderation, along with healthy, teeth-friendly foods will help keep your best holiday accessory – your smile – whiter, brighter, and healthier.

Here are a few healthy foods to enjoy during the holidays.
  • High fiber fruits and vegetables act as a detergent, helping remove plaque and promote saliva flow in order to neutralize enamel-attacking acids. Examples include broccoli, kale, apples, pears, berries, and onions.
  • Calcium-rich foods build strong enamel, which protects against sugars and bacteria. Examples include sesame seeds, leafy greens, yogurt and milk.

These are the items you should consume in moderation.
  • Sugar.  Sugar is the number one cavity-causer.
  • Energy drinks and sports drinks. These drinks are very acidic and stain teeth and wear away enamel more than most other drinks. 

We don’t expect you to refrain from indulging in your favorite holiday treats this year.  But do so consciously, for the sake of your smile!

Monday, November 28, 2011

The Strategy Behind a Natural-Looking Smile

We all want a healthy, white, natural-looking smile, right?  Kate Middleton is known for her beautiful - yet ever so slightly imperfect - smile.  As in, her teeth still have slight inconsistencies in their alignment, but overall they are quite straight, very white, and strong.  They seem natural.

In reality, quite a bit of planning and work went into that smile!  This article calls the technique used to care for Kate's smile "harmonious asymmetry," and says it probably involved either braces used to make teeth slightly more aligned, and/or porcelain veneers.  But before any cosmetic dental procedures, the foundation for Kate's gorgeous smile was consistent, professional dental care, and excellent dental hygiene.

If you'd like your own natural, healthy smile, contact Dr. Sarah Roberts at Crabapple Dental in Alpharetta for an appointment.  Whether you need to schedule a simple cleaning, or want to discuss cosmetic procedures, we have the latest technology available.  We love helping each and every one of our patients obtain their brightest, most beautiful smiles.


Call 678-319-0123 for an appointment.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!























We at Crabapple Dental would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your holiday with family and friends, eat lots of yummy food, remember to brush and floss, and we'll see you after the holiday!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Dentist’s Thanksgiving List


No, it’s not a grocery list for a Thanksgiving meal – it’s a list of things we’re thankful for – dental related, of course!  But really – dentistry has come a long way.  Think of all the pain our ancestors used to have to suffer through, before quality dental care (and painkillers – for those really severe dental issues or wisdom teeth removal).

So here’s our little list.  Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Dental floss (what did they do before they had it? How did they get out that spinach between their teeth? Perhaps they used string?)

2. Teeth whitening.  Even if you weren’t born with naturally white teeth, or you have some stains – you can still have a white smile. We appreciate that!

3. Modern medicine.  Ever had a bad tooth back in 1800?  There were no pain meds and sterile operations to remove it.  It just came out and you hoped for the best.  Today, no matter your dental problem, we have a very safe and comfortable solution.

4. Sedation dentistry.  Patients who formerly fear the dentist find their experience quite changed when they take advantage of sedation dentistry.

5. Technology. The tools and technology we use today allow us to provide care to our patients that is exponentially more advanced than before.

6. Knowledge.  Today, people know the importance of dental care, and visiting your dentist at least twice a year is a standard and acceptable practice.  This knowledge has lead to healthier smiles and, most importantly, healthier people.

What are you thankful for?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sesame Seeds: Eating for a Beautiful Smile

You know by now that calcium is crucial to healthy bones and teeth.  You also know that dairy products are high in calcium, and so considered a good source.


What you may not know is that other foods are very high in calcium as well - without the saturated fat.  And if you're lactose intolerant, you'll be happy to know that you can get plenty of calcium from sources besides milk.  One of those sources is...


Sesame seeds!  One cup of milk has about 300 mg of calcium.  Compare that with one cup of sesame seeds, which has 1,404 mg of calcium!


Granted - you aren't going to consume one cup of sesame seeds in a day!  But let's look at two tablespoons, a more reasonable measurement.  Two tablespoons of sesame seeds contain 175.5 mg of calcium.  Not as much as milk, but still very good!


Sprinkle sesame seeds on baked or grilled chicken or fish, rice dishes, bok choy (for even more calcium!), tofu or anything else to greatly enhance the flavor and add crunch.  Make tahini sauce and drizzle it over vegetables or on sandwiches.


While helping build tooth enamel and preserving the bone around the teeth and gums, eating sesame seeds helps slough off plaque.  So buy some today, toast them yourself, and keep them in a jar in the kitchen.  They'll be your new favorite condiment!


As always, if you live in or around the Atlanta, Alpharetta, or Roswell areas, and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sarah Roberts, call 678-319-0123 or email us today.

Monday, October 17, 2011

It’s simple. Healthy habits for a healthy smile.

What better time to celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month than October?

The store isles are bursting with tempting, oversized bags of candy corn and peanut butter pumpkins.  And when your children come home from trick-or-treating, you’re sure to sneak a few pieces yourself.

So it makes sense to take this month to reiterate the importance of healthy habits that lead to a healthy smile.  Not just in October, but all year round.  Not just for you, but for your entire family.

As the title says – It’s simple.  Healthy habits = healthy smile (and healthy body, for that matter).

But what are those crucial daily steps that stand between you and a beautiful, white, problem-free smile?

Let’s go over them now.

1. BRUSH 2 minutes 2x a day.  Brushing your teeth for two minutes is perhaps the single most important step you can take to reduce plaque and diseases such as cavities and gingivitis.  If you must, set a timer until you naturally get in the habit of brushing the proper length of time.










2. FLOSS daily.  There are some places your toothbrush simply can’t reach.  That’s where floss comes in.  Floss helps prevent buildup between the teeth and under the gumline.  Don’t want to see eventual brown stains between your teeth?  Floss daily.

















3. RINSE with mouthwash.  Brushing and flossing remove bacteria from your teeth, but including a daily rinse with mouthwash into your routine can further eliminate plaque and gingivitis germs from other places in your mouth.  Think of it an extra precaution, to make your hygiene more thorough.

















4. VISIT YOUR DENTIST at least twice a year.  All the brushing, flossing, and rinsing you do cannot make up for not seeing a dentist regularly.  Your dentist can reach and remove with special tools things you cannot on your own.  Go too long without seeing a dentist, and you will probably start to see the consequences, those that are visible, anyway.

















This October, enjoy your candy, but make dental hygiene a top priority.  Trust us, your wallet, health, and smile will thank you later!!

As always, if you live in or around the Atlanta, Alpharetta, or Roswell areas, and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sarah Roberts, call 678-319-0123 or email us today.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fruits: Eating for a Beautiful Smile


My fourth recommendation for Eating for a Beautiful Smile is fruit.

I do not mean fruit juices – those are actually bad for your teeth.

But fresh fruit is excellent for your teeth in several ways.

First, firm and crunchy fruits such as apples and crisp varieties of pears have high water content.  Water dilutes the effects of their natural sugars, and stimulates the flow of saliva.  This saliva protects against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid.

These crunchy, fiber-rich fruits also help fight halitosis, as a result of saliva washing away odor-causing residue, left behind by carbohydrates and proteins.

In addition to cleansing the mouth, fruits are vital to the health of your gum tissue.  Fruits like strawberries, oranges, and kiwis contain high amounts of vitamin C.  A lack of vitamin C can break down the collagen network in your gums, making them tender and susceptible to the bacteria that cause periodontal disease.  Get plenty of vitamin C, and you’re doing a favor for your gums, your skin, and basically your entire body.

It's Fall, and it's the perfect time to go apple picking!  So stock up on apples, not packaged snacks.  You’ll feel so much better, and you’ll end up smiling more as a result.


As always, if you live in or around the Atlanta, Alpharetta, or Roswell areas, and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sarah Roberts, call 678-319-0123 or email us today.