Dental Blog

Did you know that what you eat and drink contributes to whether or not you have a bright and healthy smile? Along with keeping your dentist appointments, brushing twice a day and flossing regularly, eating right can also benefit your dental health. Not to mention, your overall health, too!

1. Got Calcium?

Foods that are rich in calcium are not only good for your bones, it’s also very beneficial to the health of your mouth. Calcium strengthens your enamel and helps protect against periodontal disease. Consume things like milk, cheese, baby carrots, broccoli, oranges, and edamame to up your calcium levels and be on your way to a healthier smile!

2. Something Fishy

Eating foods like fatty fish, wild salmon, sardines, tuna, and taking Omega-3 supplements like fish oil are especially beneficial to your dental health. Omega-3s can reduce the sign of periodontal disease, help maintain gum health and prevent tooth decay

3. Up Your Vitamin C!

Vitamin C strengthens your gums and can protect against gingivitis, which is the early stages of gum disease and can also prevent your teeth from loosening. Try upping your intake of more vitamin C by eating foods like leafy greens, tomatoes, citrus fruits, melons, and strawberries (Bonus points for natural whitening!)

4. Splish Splash!

When you can, replace your sodas, citrus juices, sports drinks, and wine with – you guessed it! – WATER. Drinking water often helps wash sugar off of your teeth and also helps neutralize the acid in your mouth. Drink water that contains fluoride, this helps to strengthen the enamel of your teeth and helps protect against tooth decay.

Did you know that there is no fluoride in the Lafayette, LA water system? This makes our overall dental health suffer, especially for those who grew up in Acadiana drinking this water since birth. Here at Maestri, we offer a fluoride treatment at an affordable price and we recommend our patients get this treatment twice a year. From preventing tooth decay to revitalizing the minerals in your tooth structure, fluoride is the KEY ingredient needed to achieve your best smile! Call our office today to learn more about getting this treatment at your next visit with us 337-704-2126

We all want our children to maintain proper dental health that leads to a beautiful and healthy smile throughout their lives. Are you lacking ideas on how to implement a stronger dental routine? We’ve compiled a few ideas to help you teach your child about the right and wrong ways to take care of their teeth.

1. Good Eats. Stock up on healthy snacks for your children to eat after getting home from school or for those in-between meal munchies! Fruits and veggies are an obviously wonderful choice for a healthy smile, but also things like cheese or yogurt that is high in calcium and protein strengthens your child’s teeth.
2. Brushing Habits. Your kids should brush in the morning and before bed at night. After eating breakfast in the morning, they should brush their teeth before getting along with the day. Also, a nightly brushing routine is crucial since it prevents food particles and sugar from attacking their teeth while sleeping.
3. Teeth Aren't Tools. Make sure your child knows the importance of protecting their teeth. Don’t let your child use their teeth as a tool because  cracked and fractured teeth are the third leading cause of tooth loss. If your child decides to use their teeth for anything other than eating, then they have a higher chance of damaging their teeth. Also, children who play contact sports should wear mouth guards to avoid serious facial and dental trauma.
4. Stay Hydrated. You’ve heard it over and over again but let us remind you again, it’s crucial to make sure your child is drinking enough water throughout the day. Not only does staying hydrated with water benefit a healthy body, it also keeps their mouth clean. Rinsing the mouth with water after eating during the day, neutralizes the acidity levels in their mouths and lowers the chance of getting cavities.

We hope these few ideas have inspired you to incorporate a stronger dental routine into your child’s lives. And of course, the biggest tip of all is to set a good example. Show your child that brushing and flossing is necessary in your daily life and going to the dentist every 6 months isn’t all that bad. Because we all know who they want to grow up to be like one day. That person is you! :)