Tag Archives: DentistUSA.com

Need a Valentine’s Date? Try Smiling.

06 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by in DentistUSA.com, Smile, Valentine's Day

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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and for many single people it’s the worst day of the year. Having to watch other people flaunt their love with public displays of affection, restaurants raising prices for needy lovers looking for a place to celebrate, mothers calling wondering, “when will you finally find someone”. What is a single person to do? Well, if you’d like to make your mother happy and join the ranks of the love afflicted, you might want to smile more.

According to a national survey from the American Dental Association and Crest and Oral B, the smile outranked eyes, hair and the body as the most attractive physical feature. A warm, friendly smile shows you’re relaxed and comfortable, which means you’ll come across as confident and secure. Studies show that people who smile more are frequently seen as more attractive to the opposite sex.

Even the action of just smiling can boost your mood by stimulating the area of the brain that is active when you naturally smile. And as it turns out, people are attracted to happy confident people.

Wondering what you can do to make you more confident in your smile? Here is one of our past blogs that can give you tips on whitening your teeth. You should definitely visit your dentist. They will be able to give you the best tips and give you a smile you’ll be proud to share. Then maybe, you’ll be a part of those couples flaunting their PDA on Valentine’s Day.

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5 Alternatives To Toothpaste

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in Bad Breath, General Dentistry, Tooth Paste

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The other morning, I was awoken by my dog licking my face. His hope was to get me to throw his ball at 6 in the morning. He is lucky he’s really cute. What was not cute? His breath. Which, in turn made me realize my breath wasn’t much better. So I moseyed on up to my bathroom sink and found that my wife had used the last of our toothpaste the night before. Sigh… What is a dragon to do?

What did people do before the invention of toothpaste? Well, toothpastes, in one form or another has been used for thousands of years. In fact, ancient Egyptians are believed to have started using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000BC. Well before the first toothbrush was invented.

In 1850 a more traditional paste in a jar was introduced call Crème Dentifrice. Colgate introduced the first toothpaste tub in the 1890’s. Pastes made before 1945 contained soap. I can only imagine kids cursed a lot more back then and this made it easier for their mothers to wash their mouths out. Today’s modern toothpastes are less harsh, have better flavors and are developed to help more specific diseases, such as tooth sensitivity and tartar. Leaving the washing of foul-mouths to bars of soap.

But what is one to do if there is no toothpaste?

Here are 5 alternatives to toothpaste if your significant other has used it all and you want to get rid of the awful breath you have:

  1. Baking Soda

Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with a few drops of water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your teeth and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then brush your teeth like you normally would. Rinse the baking soda out of your mouth and you’re finished.

  1. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is used as a natural teeth whitener. You can either use it as a rinse or make a paste by adding it to baking soda.

To make a rinse, mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide with water (½ cup hydrogen peroxide to ½ cup of water) and swish the concoction around your mouth for a minute. Try not to swallow any of the mixture.

To make a paste, mix a couple teaspoons of baking soda with a half-teaspoon of peroxide Mix together to make a paste and brush as normal. Thoroughly rise afterwards.

  1. Salt

Salt has long been used as an antibacterial and is an ingredient in a lot of toothpastes. Just dab your toothbrush in salt and brush. This can be a bit abrasive and is not recommended if you have sensitive teeth. You can also dilute the salt in water and use the solution to brush your teeth for a less abrasive paste.

  1. Coconut Oil

A lot of people think coconut oil is a healthy catchall. Others think it’s poison. Some people use it as an alternative to toothpaste by adding baking soda and essential oils, like mint. Figure out where you stand on coconut oil and then give it a try.

  1. Flossing and Dry Brushing

This is what I ended up doing. Of course I floss every night, as one should do. (And no, I do not mean the dance.) So I just grabbed some floss and got to work. Then I ran my toothbrush under water, brushed my teeth for the mandatory 2 minutes and then brushed my tongue.

My bad breath went away and I felt ready for my day of grocery shopping… for more toothpaste.

The Tooth Friendly Kitchen – Fall Carrot Soup

07 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in General Dentistry, Smile, Tooth Friendly Recipe, What To Eat

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Fall is back! Leaves are changing, sweaters are coming out of storage and people are looking for that perfect recipe for their thanksgiving potluck. Lucky for them, the Tooth Friendly Kitchen is here to help! Our recipe for you thanksgiving feast is Carrot soup.

This fall favorite features, you guessed it, carrots! Chewing on raw carrots is great for your teeth. They act like natural toothbrushes and enhance saliva production to help prevent tooth decay and acid build up. Of course, we are making a soup so we will be cooking and blending the carrots. But feel free to buy extra carrots and cut them in to sticks. They make excellent snacks.

Besides carrots natural toothbrush abilities, they are chock full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Two of which will help that smile remain bright. Keratin helps to fight plaque, while vitamin A helps to strengthen tooth enamel. This soup is very easy to make, comforting on a cool fall evening and will add to any thanksgiving table.

Fall Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1 pound of carrots chopped

2 medium yellow onions diced

1 pound sweet potatoes chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 apple chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons manuka honey

2 teaspoons salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

 

Prepare

  1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent.

2. Add carrots, sweet potatoes and apples to the pot and stir to combine with the onions. Cook for 2 minutes, then add chicken broth and honey.

3. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are nice and tender.

4. Take off the heat and cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a food processor or blender and puree the mixture until smooth.

5. Transfer smooth soup back into the pot and stir in salt and pepper.

Serve warm with a swirl of garlic oil or a spoon of crème fraiche, or both!