BITES FROM DR. BAROTZ
Dr. Barotz here. In just a few days we will be celebrating a favorite American holiday - Thanksgiving. While the holiday has changed somewhat from the first celebration, it is still a time to offer thanks, spend time with family and friends, and of course partake in a feast that has been anticipated for months.
One of the great benefits of this day of total food and beverage indulgence is that so many of the traditional foods that we prepare are fantastic for oral health. I know in my house we have an abundance of fruit and vegetables to go with our turkey and several of these dishes can provide the proper nutrition needed to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
Let's look at some of the tried and true Thanksgiving fare and see what is best for providing a feast for our teeth.
* Fruit Salads - Fresh fruit is probably the very best choice you can make for dental health. Fresh fruit stimulates saliva, decreasing the amount of acid in your mouth. Saliva also helps wash away unwanted food particles.
* Carrots And Celery - I have friends who always have a raw vegetable plate and you'll always find celery filled with certain cheese spreads. While the cheese spread doesn't provide a lot of nutritional value, carrots and celery are two fiber filled vegetables that are excellent for your teeth. They serve to stimulate the gums, which is crucial for dental health.
* Sweet Potatoes/Mashed Potatoes - Sweet potatoes are rumored to be the world's most perfect food. They are loaded with the exact vitamins and nutrients needed for oral health. Potatoes are also extraordinarily nutritious. They provide carbohydrates, which give us energy, as well as proteins, and they're rich in vitamins B and C. They are less likely to cause tooth decay than wheat or other grains, whose starchy flours stick to teeth and cause cavities. Plus, I'm sure you are adding milk to your potatoes which contains calcium and calcium-rich foods are necessary for healthy teeth.
* Cranberries - There's been some recent research that indicates that a compound in cranberries reduces the ability for oral bacteria to adhere to teeth, which helps reduce the formation of plaque.
* Turkey - Meat is thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to redeposit minerals into the tooth enamel after being removed from enamel by acids.
* Greens & Winter Vegetables - Most greens and winter vegetables are superstars for delivering vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C, flavanoids and coenzyme Q10. These are all powerful antioxidants that protect the gums against cell damage and promote healing. Vitamin C is vital for the production of collagen - the main protein building block for fibrous framework of all living tissues - which, in turn, makes it more resistant to bacterial penetration. It also promotes healthy capillaries, which aids oral tissue in staying healthy.
* And Don't Forget the Pumpkin Pie - You don't have to feel guilty about eating Mom's pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are loaded with beta carotene, potassium, vitamin C and calcium.
So you see, many of your favorite Thanksgiving foods are also nutritious and play a major role in optimum dental health. So dig in and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
About Dr. Barotz
Dr. Charles S. Barotz, of Barotz Dental, is a 1980 graduate of Georgetown University School of Dentistry and has dedicated his life to provide the best that dentistry has to offer. Dr. Barotz is continually educating himself and his staff with the newest dental techniques and approaches, in order to provide advanced, state of the art, comfortable, personalized, and antiseptic dental care. Dr. Barotz has been published and lectures internationally on numerous subjects relating to excellence in dentistry. For a free consultation contact Barotz Dental at 303-595-4994 or visit
www.barotzdental.com.