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.

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.

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.

Fresh Herbs: Eating for a Beautiful Smile

Depending on who you are, or where you’re from rather, you either think of fresh herbs as an inedible plate-decorator (think curly parsley at a buffet-style steak house), a flavor-boosting garnish for dishes (basil torn over pasta), or the main event (the Middle Eastern parsley dish, tabouleh, for example).

But did you ever think of herbs as good for your teeth?

Leafy, fresh-tasting herbs like parsley and mint contain monoterpenes, which travel from your bloodstream to your lungs.   That’s why chewing mint or parsley after a meal will help you maintain fresh-smelling breath.

More than just breath-fresheners, fresh herbs are rich in nutrients, as indicated by their deep green color.  Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and folate. Basil is rich in vitamins K and A, iron, and calcium.  Many herbs contain flavonoids (antioxidants).  (For how these vitamins and minerals keep your teeth healthy, check out our previous post.)

So pile on the fresh herbs!  And don’t limit yourself to using herbs as a garnish.  There are plenty of delicious, nutritious ways to make herbs the main event.  Your teeth will thank you.

World's Hoppiest 5K Road Race. Register Now!

The World's Hoppiest 5K Road Race is coming up!  Join us on October 8 at 9:00 PM in Milton, Georgia for a cool run followed by drinks and live music.

Crabapple is helping to sponsor this race, and proceeds go to benefit Canine Assistants.

Download the race form here, or register online here.

Vegetables: Eating for a Beautiful Smile

All vegetables are good for you, and along with whole grains, should be the foundation of your diet.  Just a few of the health benefits include glowing skin, strong hair and nails, a trim figure, and reduced risk of preventable diseases.

Let’s look at how they affect your smile.

Raw Vegetables

Raw, crunchy veggies like celery and carrots massage the gums and clean between teeth.  The chewing they require also produces saliva, which helps to neutralize bacteria and prevent cavities.  Vegetables are naturally low in sugar as well, which is obviously better for your teeth.

Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, chard, collard greens, endive, lettuce, kale, mustard greens, asparagus, spinach and watercress provide you with a ton of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain and improve oral health. Nutrients found in these dark green foods include vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. Spinach and other leafy greens are rich in magnesium. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and kale contain large amounts of vitamin C and phosphorus. Phosphorus is stored in the teeth and bones, and is instrumental in helping your body balance and absorb calcium and magnesium.

Any Vegetables

From vitamin A (in pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, broccoli) to vitamin C (spinach and swiss chard), to calcium (broccoli and bok choy), vegetables contain the nutrients your teeth need for healthy enamel and gums, without the stuff that does nothing your teeth, like fat and sugars.

If your diet includes plenty of vegetables, you’re doing a good thing for your mouth and entire body.  If you aren’t a fan of vegetables, try to find some you like, or try sneaking them into dishes where you don’t notice them so much.  When you start to see the benefits, you’ll be surprised at how you develop a taste for what your body really needs.

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.

Beans: Eating for a Beautiful Smile

How do beans affect your oral health?  Well, specific vitamins and minerals are vital to healthy teeth and gums.  Those include calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B, C, and D.  Beans are chock-full of every single one of these vitamins and minerals.

Let’s discuss how each of these vitamins contribute to a beautiful smile.

Calcium

If you do not get enough calcium, you are at risk for gum disease and cavities.  That’s because your teeth and bones are made mostly of calcium.  Calcium combined with phosphorous makes up calcium phosphate – another name for the dense, hard material that is your teeth and bones.  So you can see that calcium directly affects the strength and appearance of your teeth and bones.  It is a myth that calcium must come from dairy.  There are plenty of healthier ways to get plenty of calcium. Beans are an excellent source.

Iron

Iron deficiencies aren’t uncommon. Oral signs of an iron deficiency include the formation of sores inside your mouth and in some cases, an inflamed tongue.  Beans are rich in iron.

Vitamin A

Beans are rich in Vitamin A, which has a lot to do with the health of your skin, teeth, and gums.  The antioxidants in Vitamin A help destroy free radicals that cause decay.  Vitamin A = healthier skin, teeth, and gums.

B Vitamins

Symptoms of not enough B vitamins (B3, B2, and B12 are found in beans) include bad breath and canker sores.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your body absorb iron (see above) and promotes healthy teeth and gums. A Vitamin C deficiency can cause bleeding gums and loose teeth, among other things.

Vitamin D

We’ve all heard that we get Vitamin D from being in the sun, and that’s true, but beans also contain Vitamin D.  Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium (see above).

On top of all of these vitamins and minerals – which directly affect the appearance and health of your teeth – beans are high in protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, and low in fat and contain no cholesterol.  Making beans a regular part of your diet will improve the health and appearance of your entire body.  And a healthy, attractive body gives you one more reason to smile confidently!

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.