Tag Archives: Tooth Friendly Recipe

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!

The Tooth Friendly Kitchen – The Milkshake

03 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by in Chocolate, DentistUSA.com, General Dentistry, Tooth Friendly Recipe, What To Eat

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Is there anything more quintessentially American than the milkshake? Sure, there is the apple pie, but how many people eat a burger at their local drive thru and wash it down with an apple pie. Not too many, I would think. You can’t stick two straws in an apple pie on a date. Well, you could, but I doubt that date would last too much longer after having done so.

So my vote goes to the milkshake.

 

 

But are milkshakes tooth friendly? Milk has calcium, that’s good for teeth, right?

Well, although calcium is good for your teeth, that calcium rich milkshake is also made with sugar-loaded ice cream. And, of course, sugar is the arch-nemesis of a healthy smile. But don’t fret, here is a recipe to help you keep your smile and eat your shake too.

Strawberry Milkshake

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Milk (Almond, soy or coconut milk works for our non-dairy friends)
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon unprocessed honey (Manuka honey* is best)

How To:

  • Let the strawberries thaw slightly. (Just a couple of minutes out of the freezer)
  • Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
  • Pour into glass with two straws
  • Throw away apple pie

Prefer a chocolate shake? Replace the strawberries with two frozen bananas and add 2-3 teaspoons of cocoa powder (depending on how chocolaty a shake you like.)

*We’ve talked about Manuka honey in the past. It is an unprocessed, raw honey from New Zealand that has anti-bacterial properties and helps suppress microorganism growth. Microorganisms that eat sugar and produce acid that leads to dental caries!

5 Things to Eat When You Have a Temporary Crown

20 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Adult Dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, DentistUSA.com, General Dentistry, Sensitive Teeth, Smile, Tooth Friendly Recipe, What To Eat

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Cavities. They can happen to the best of us. Even those who happen to write a blog about how not to get them… (please don’t tell my bosses).

So, a quick trip to the dentist, a couple hours in the chair watching a movie while they drill (the movie was Larry Crowne… how apropos) and I find myself with a temporary crown awaiting a permanent that should arrive in a couple weeks. Which led me to wonder, what can I eat so that this loosely attached piece of acrylic doesn’t come off and leave me with an exposed nerve in my mouth?

Lets start with what to avoid:

  1. Sticky foods.

All of your sugary, gum candies should be avoided. These include: chewing gum, hard candies, caramels, toffee, etc. They should probably be avoided even when you don’t have a cavity, unless you want a cavity and then you’ll have to avoid them anyways.

  1. Hard foods.

These range from nuts to uncooked vegetables. If you must have them, avoid chewing on the side of your mouth with the crown.

  1. Hot liquids.

This includes soups, coffee, tea. This is more a sensitivity issue more than anything else. It’s hard to keep liquids to one side of the mouth and if you have any exposed nerve endings, you can feel some discomfort when the heat touches the crown.

  1. Cold foods.

As stated above, the same goes for cold foods. Anyone who has sensitive teeth can attest to the pain of cold on teeth.

So what can you eat?

1. Smoothies

Right after I had my temporary crown installed I asked my dentist what I could eat. She told me to stay away from the foods I listed above and suggested I try a smoothie from the place next door. As it is summer right now I can imagine a smooth might be good. Just be careful of how cold the smoothie might be. You can control the temperature when you whip up your own!

2. Pasta

I decided I wanted something more substantial than a smoothie and opted instead to go to the Italian place next to my dentist office (my dentist is in a strip mall with a bevy of food options). I had a nice rigatoni with alfredo sauce. I got it to go so by the time I got home it had cooled down and was just warm enough not to cause any discomfort. It was soft, satisfying and most importantly, didn’t hurt.

3. Pudding

If you’re wondering what I had for dessert, wonder no more! I had chocolate pudding. Once again, soft, satisfying and most importantly, didn’t hurt.

4. Eggs

From scrambled to hard-boiled, eggs are a good option. They are soft, satisfying… you get the idea.

5. Soups

I know, I know. I told you in the list above to avoid soups. But that was hot soups. Cool soups like a vichyssoise or gazpacho are a great option, especially with this summer heat. Even good, old-fashion soups, like chicken noodle is okay, as long as you let them cool first. The Joy of Blending has a really tasty Cool Mint Pea soup.

Really, there are plenty of foods to eat while you have a temporary crown. Just remember to stay away from the avoid list above, chew with the opposite side of your mouth the crown is on and you should be just fine. Remember, if you ever feel pain, especially when you are not eating, make sure to inform your dentist.