Ensure a Smile-Healthy Summer Soiree with These 7 Mouth-Care Tips!
Welcome to our guide for a MouthHealthy Summer Soiree! As you gear up for a memorable gathering, it's essential to prioritize your oral health amidst the summer festivities. Discover seven expert tips and tricks to safeguard your teeth, maintain a radiant smile, and enjoy a delightful event with family and friends.
Choose a Crunch that Benefits Your Dental Health
While potato chips may be a popular choice for parties, they can harbor unwelcome visitors in your mouth. The small bits of chewed-up chips tend to get stuck in the crevices of your teeth, providing a feast for cavity-causing bacteria.
Instead, consider adding apples and pears to your fruit platter, and include carrots, celery, and raw broccoli on your veggie tray. These natural alternatives act as toothbrushes, effectively scrubbing away plaque and encouraging saliva production to rinse away any remaining debris.
Embrace the Power of Cheese
Adding a slice of cheddar to your grilled burger not only enhances its flavor but also provides dental benefits. Moreover, who can resist a delightful cheese platter? Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are low in sugar while being packed with calcium and phosphorus, essential for strengthening and safeguarding your tooth enamel. Furthermore, studies indicate that consuming more dairy may reduce the risk of gum disease. So don't hesitate to say cheese and enjoy its oral health advantages!
The Drawbacks of Toothpicks
Planning to serve corn on the cob or pulled pork at your gathering? Your guests might require a tool to dislodge food particles from between their teeth. However, toothpicks can be sharp and potentially injure the gums, creating an entry point for bacteria. Additionally, no one wants to deal with a mouth splinter if a toothpick breaks. A safer alternative is to provide dental picks in a covered dish in the bathroom or replace traditional toothpicks on the table with soft, flexible, wooden plaque removers like Stim-U-Dent.
Choose Seedless Options
Minimize the chance of food getting stuck in your guests' teeth by opting for seedless food choices. Select hamburger and hot dog buns without sesame or poppy seeds. When preparing fruit salad, use crunchy fruits like apples and grapes instead of raspberries, kiwi, and blackberries. Additionally, serve seedless watermelon to further avoid any seed-related inconveniences.
Crushed, Not Cubed
While ice can be refreshing on a hot day, it poses risks to your teeth. Chewing on hard substances like ice can lead to dental emergencies such as tooth fractures and enamel damage. To prevent this, consider placing cans and bottles in a large tub of ice, discouraging your guests from crunching on ice cubes once they finish their drinks. If you require ice for a glass, opt for crushed ice instead.
Offer Refreshing Infused Water
Sodas and sports drinks are known to be detrimental to your dental health. They erode tooth enamel, contribute to dry mouth, and contain excessive sugar. On the other hand, water is one of the healthiest beverages you can sip on. Enhance its flavor and appeal by serving infused water with a variety of fruits of your choice. Infused waters are not only low in sugar but also highly hydrating. Just be mindful of citrus fruits as their acidic nature can be harsh on your teeth. As a bonus, pitchers of infused water will add a beautiful touch to your table setting.
Have Sugar-Free Gum Available
After a satisfying dinner, your guests might appreciate a way to freshen their breath. Instead of offering a bowl of mints, consider providing a dish of sugar-free gum. Research conducted with gum carrying the ADA Seal suggests that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals can aid in preventing tooth decay. Chewing sugar-free gum stimulates saliva production, effectively rinsing away food particles and combating the acids generated by cavity-causing bacteria that can harm your teeth.