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Foods That Are Natural Plaque Fighters

Out with friends? On the road? Sometimes, carrying around a toothbrush to keep your pearly whites clean isn't so easy. When brushing and flossing isn't a convenient option, you can still keep your teeth and mouth clean and feeling fresh simply by eating delicious, healthy food. In fact, you're probably eating many of these foods on a regular basis anyway and helping fight plaque without even knowing it.

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away And Tooth Decay, Too!

This goes for most crunchy fruits and vegetables as well. Apples, carrots and celery are just a few examples of foods that require extra chewing which produces saliva that neutralizes bacteria that can cause cavities. Plus, chomping on naturally abrasive foods removes stuck-on food particles, massages gums, and cleans between teeth too. If you're in orthodontic treatment, make sure you cut hard, crunchy foods like apples and carrots into bite-size pieces before eating to avoid damage to your braces.

Water, Water, Water!

Drinking water keeps your gums hydrated and is the best way to stimulate saliva, your body's greatest defense against the bacteria that cause plaque and cavities. Rinsing your mouth with water also helps wash away trapped food particles and cause bad breath. If you can't brush after eating, the most important thing you can do to prevent cavities is rinse your mouth with water.

Use Natural Acidity

Limes, lemons, and oranges contain a natural acidity which helps increase the production of saliva to wash away the food you have eaten. Because these acidic fruits also have a high concentration of water in them, they aid the tooth rinsing process as well and help keep your mouth free from harmful bacteria. It's important to follow up with a drink of water to remove any excess citric acid though, as this can also eat away at your tooth enamel.

Be Green With Tea

Green tea contains substances called catechins that kill the bacteria in your mouth that turn sugar into plaque. Catechins also wipe out the bacteria that cause bad breath. So, instead of reaching for that can of soda, steep some green tea instead!

Say Cheese!

Cheese, which is low in carbohydrates and high in calcium, provides several benefits to your teeth. It helps to balance your mouth's acidity level, preserves and rebuilds tooth enamel, prevents plaque, and produces saliva which kills the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

Protect Your Teeth And Gums with Sugarless Gum

The xylitol in many sugarless gums helps to prevent plaque, aids in producing saliva, and can help remove food stuck to your teeth after a meal. Plus, chewing sugar-free gum keeps your breath smelling great!

Of course, no food or drink can take the place of daily brushing and flossing; but when you're on the go, you can still take a bite out of tooth daily.

February is National Dental Health Month, and the team at Bel Air Orthodontics want to remind everyone about the importance of good oral hygiene and the role it plays in the health of your teeth and the success of your orthodontic treatment.

Brushing for two minutes, two times a day is the golden rule when it comes to taking care of your teeth; but did you know that brushing alone isn't enough to keep your mouth clean and disease free? The gum tissue between your teeth where your toothbrush can't reach is prone to infection. That's why flossing regularly is just as essential to your overall health care as brushing. The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests flossing at least once a day to promote total oral health.

Flossing With Braces

Flossing is more important that ever when you're in orthodontic treatment. Braces can catch food and allow plaque to build up around them, increasing the risk of gum disease. Flossing removes plaque from the areas of your teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. If you don't remove this plaque, it can harden into tartar and lead to gum inflammation and disease. Fortunately there are products to help you successfully floss around and between your braces. Here are some handy helpers that make it easier to floss while you're in treatment:

Floss Threaders

A floss threader is the most common tool to help you floss with braces. Made of a special, rigid plastic, a threader works like a sewing needle to help you guide the floss under the archwire so that you can floss as usual. Here's how it works:

1. Pull off 12 to 18 inches of your preferred dental floss.
2. Insert one end of the dental floss about five inches into the loop of the threader.
3. Pass the floss threader under or over the archwire.
4. Remove the threader from the floss and floss gently back and forth and up and down into the gumline between the teeth.
5. Repeat the process between each tooth.

Stiff-Ended Floss

Made with a bendable but rigid segment at its end, this special floss works much the same as a floss threader. Products such as Oral-B's Super Floss have three unique components—a stiffened-end dental floss threader, spongy floss and regular floss.

Simply maneuver the stiff end under the archwire of your braces, pull it through and floss as usual. All three flossing tools work together to give you maximum benefits.

Oral Irrigators

An oral irrigator, such as a Waterpik®, works by shooting a very fine jet of water between and around teeth to clear away plaque and food. This system can make cleaning around your braces much easier and more thorough. Dr. Godwin highly recommends the use of an oral irrigator throughout orthodontic treatment.

Regardless of the type flossing tool you use, make sure that you floss on a regular basis - at least once a day. Though flossing may add one more step to your daily routine, it's just as important to achieving a healthy smile as brushing. As always, let us know if you have any questions about the best way to keep your teeth clean and healthy while you're in treatment.

We've all heard the old saying, "You are what you eat", but did you know that it's just as important for your teeth as it is your body. Your choice of drink has a big impact on your waistline as well as your dental health.  A study from the University of Maryland Dental School  found that soft drinks (diet or regular soda), fruit drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks weaken tooth enamel. They are even harder on your teeth if your are wearing orthodontic appliances such as braces, retainers or aligners.

According to the study, it's the acid in these drinks that dissolves tooth enamel. Once enamel dissolves, it does not come back. Having a sugary beverage every now and then isn't the problem. It's when you sip it continuously that you get the constant breakdown of enamel.  To keep your teeth healthy and strong, Dr. Godwin recommends that you avoid soda and sports drinks and reach for water to keep you hydrated.  If you do occasionally indulge in a soda or sports drinks, drink it quickly rather than taking a swig every few minutes. It's also a good idea to use a straw to reduce exposure to your teeth. Brushing your teeth afterwards, or at least swishing with water, can help remove the sugar from your teeth.

To learn more about the dangerous pH levels of soft drinks and what you can do to avoid damage to your teeth, download this flyer courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Soft Drinks + Orthodontic Treatment = A Recipe For Disaster

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.