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Did you know three U.S. presidents died on the 4th of July? Who knew that President Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States but only the 44th man to hold the position? Presidents Day is the perfect time to test your knowledge on America’s presidents. Find out how much you know about our fearless leaders with our Presidents Day trivia.

Which U.S. president was the first to bring a pet to the White House?

Thomas Jefferson’s beloved mockingbird, Dick, is thought to be the first pet to live in the White House. Birds were said to be Jefferson’s favorite animal and Dick often had free range of the president’s study. Dick often sang the president to sleep, liked to sit on his shoulder and would even take food from Jefferson’s mouth.

Which former U.S. presidents died just hours apart on July 4?

Three of the first five U.S. presidents died on July 4. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, just hours apart from one another. James Monroe, the fifth president, died five years later in 1831.

Which president could’ve been the next Mozart?

Maybe Harry S. Truman. He had the work ethic. Truman used to get up as early as 5 a.m. to practice the piano for two hours.

Which president installed a putting green in the White House?

Many American presidents have golfed while in office, beginning with William McKinley in 1897. Only Teddy Roosevelt, Hoover, Truman and Carter avoided the game. Dwight D. Eisenhower, though, was the first to bring the game to the White House itself. Less than a month after taking office in 1953, Eisenhower began practicing chip shots on the South Lawn and eventually commissioned a 3,000-square-foot putting green just outside the Oval Office. Supposedly, he played over 800 games of golf while in office.  It's no secret that President Donald Trump also has a love for the game. After all, he owns 17 golf courses around the world.

Who was the first to run against a woman for the presidency?

No, that wasn’t Donald Trump. Ulysses S. Grant ran against Virginia Woodhull, the nominee of the “Equal Rights Party,” in 1872.

Which president had 15 children?

John Tyler holds the record for the most children sired by a president. John Tyler’s first wife had been Letitia Christian, with whom he had eight children. She died of a stroke in 1842. He married his second wife, Julia Gardiner in 1844, and they had seven children together bringing his total to 15.  He was a devoted husband and doting father to his rather large brood of children from both marriages.

Which President was shot in the middle of a speech but kept speaking?

On October 14, 1912, Roosevelt was campaigning in Milwaukee. He finished his dinner and stepped out of the Pfister Hotel to enter a waiting car. An assassin stepped out of the crowd. Raising a gun, the man fired one bullet at President Roosevelt. It passed through Roosevelt's overcoat, a fifty-page manuscript, a steel eyeglass case, and lodged in his chest. He coughed into his hand, and seeing no blood, determined that the bullet had not entered his lung. Refusing medical attention, Theodore Roosevelt went on to deliver the ninety-minute speech. Doctors later examined him and decided it was safer to leave the bullet in his chest. It remained there for the remainder of his life.

Which two presidents donated their salaries to charity?

Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy. If he follows through with donating his salary, President Donald Trump will be the third.

Who were the tallest and shortest presidents?

Abraham Lincoln was the tallest by far at 6 foot 4 inches. James Madison was the shortest president at 5-foot-4 inches.

Which president loved jelly beans?

Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans and placed a standing order of 720 bags per month to be delivered to the White House and various federal buildings.

Having a consistent, healthy diet, is good for your body AND for your smile. Many people don’t realize how important their food is for their teeth. Just like unhealthy food can cause your enamel to wear away and stains to occur, healthy foods can keep your teeth strong and can even make them whiter.

Some of the best foods for healthy teeth may come as a surprise. These foods are easy to incorporate into your everyday diet and make the effects of your good oral hygiene that much more effective. Other than maintaining your teeth by brushing and flossing and visiting your dentist twice each year, adding these nutritious bites will make a huge difference in the health of your teeth.

Enjoy Calcium-Filled Dairy Products

Cheese - If you're one of the many people who profess a love of cheese, you now have another reason to enjoy this tasty food. For one, it is low in sugar and high in calcium and protein, but that’s not all. Cheese is also an essential part of a healthy diet because it contains casein, which is a protein that is particularly useful for fortifying the tooth enamel. An American Academy of General Dentistry study published in the May/June 2013 found that eating cheese raised the pH in the subjects' mouths and lowered their risk of tooth decay.

Yogurt - Like cheese, yogurt is high in calcium and protein, which makes it a good pick for the strength and health of your teeth. The probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, found in yogurt also benefit your gums because the good bacteria crowd out bacteria that cause cavities. Yogurt is a tasty treat that also contains something called phosphates, which actually work to remineralize teeth. If you decide to add more yogurt to your diet, choose a plain variety with no added sugar and top it off with some fresh fruit.

Eat Your Leafy Greens

It turns out the Popeye was right – eating leafy greens, such as spinach and kale helps promote oral health. They're full of vitamins and minerals and are high in calcium, which builds your tooth's enamel. They also contain folic acid, a type of B vitamin that has numerous health benefits. In addition to vitamins, eating leafy greens gives you a boost of antioxidants. These substances remove damaging oxidizing agents from your body. The benefits of antioxidants extend to healthy teeth and gums too. If you have trouble getting leafy greens into your diet, add a handful of baby spinach to your next salad, throw some kale on a pizza, or try adding some greens to a smoothie.

Use Natural Scrubbers

While the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends steering clear of most sweet foods, there are some exceptions. Fruits, such as apples and pears, might be sweet, but they're also high in fiber and water. The action of eating an apple produces saliva in your mouth, which rinses away bacteria and food particles. The fibrous texture of these fruits also stimulates the gums. Eating an apple isn't the same as brushing your teeth, but it can tide you over until you have a chance to brush. Pack some apple slices in your lunch to give your mouth a good scrubbing at the end of the meal.

Crunchy vegetables, like carrots and celery might get a bad reputation for being bland, but they act a bit like a toothbrush, scraping food particles and bacteria away from your teeth. They’re also a good source of vitamins A and C, two antioxidants that give the health of your gums a boost. Having a hard time eating these crunchy fruits and vegetables with braces? Remember to cut them up into bite-size pieces to keep your braces safe.

Think Before You Drink

Along with adding more leafy greens, dairy products and fibrous vegetables to your diet, pay attention to what you're drinking. Soda and sports drinks are bad news for your teeth, and NOT recommended particularly while you’re in braces. Some all-natural fruit juices are also loaded with sugar and acid as well. Sugary drinks contribute to the production of plaque acids that attack the tooth enamel. Eventually these acids can cause tooth enamel to break down, forming a cavity. Consider milk or water instead. Milk offers protein and almost half of your daily calcium.

Taking the time to think through what you’re eating every day is really important for both your oral and overall health. You may already eat some of these great foods for your teeth, but it doesn't hurt to add all of them to your diet and create the healthiest smile ever. If you're still not sure what to eat while you have braces, just ask. The team at Bel Air Orthodontics is here to help!

So, you’re working out, eating kale, ditching the soda, drinking endless bottles of water and hopefully, recycling the empties!  You’re feeling pretty good about yourself – but, are you doing your teeth more harm than good?

You may be choosing bottled water over tap because you think it’s a healthier, tastier and more convenient; but studies show that  choosing bottled water over tap can actually be detrimental to your dental health?

When we choose bottled water over tap water, we deprive our pearly whites of something we may need. Most brands of bottled water fail to include a vital ingredient for dental health: fluoride. Fluoride plays an important role in maintaining good oral health because it helps strengthen our teeth. Stronger teeth mean a lower chance of tooth decay, and who doesn’t want that?

The good news is that the American Dental Association has endorsed both community water fluoridation and products that contain fluoride as a safe way to prevent tooth decay. If bottled water happens to be the preference for you or your family, you don’t necessarily have to force everyone to start drinking tap water. Just check the label and make sure the brand you purchase contains fluoride. It’s essential to remember that switching up the water you drink isn’t going to put you on the fast track to perfect teeth, though. We recommend that you visit your dentist every six months and floss and brush daily. If you're wearing braces, keeping teeth clean and healthy can often be challenge. For our top ten tips for keeping braces clean, read our previous blog.

If you have any questions about fluoride or your overall dental health, don’t hesitate to give the team at Bel Air Orthodontics a call.

It's that time of year again; a time when we're thinking about those all too familiar New Year's resolutions. Promising to spend less, exercise more and clear the clutter are often at the top of our list, but this year the team at Bel Air Orthodontics has decided to keep our New Year's resolutions easy and entertaining. We've vowed to laugh more, smile often and have more fun. In the spirit of that fun, we came up with a few resolutions for our patients in orthodontic treatment. Tell us what you think, and share your own New Year's resolutions with us on our Facebook page!

• I will wear my elastics religiously.

• I will not flick my elastics at my brother or sister!

• I won't call my orthodontist during the Super Bowl with an emergency.

• I will brush my teeth at least twice a day for no less than two minutes. (Five minutes would be better!)

• I won't eat jolly ranchers or other sticky, chewy foods while I have braces.

• I won't gross out my parents or friends by smiling with food in my braces.

• I will not lie to my mom when she asks about my brushing.

• I won't let the dog wear my retainer (or eat it for that matter!)

• I will remember to wear a mouthguard when playing sports.

• I will simply stop complaining about my braces!

Happy New Year from the team at Bel Air Orthodontics.