More Tips for a Happy, Healthy Halloween

More Tips for a Happy, Healthy Halloween

In our last post, we talked a lot about the relationship between sugar, your teeth, and decay. Today we’d like to talk about an alternative to candy sweetened with sugar that can help you enjoy a healthier, but just as happy, Halloween.

Xylitol—A Beneficial Sweetener

Cane sugar and corn syrup aren’t the only sweeteners out there you can enjoy. Candy sweetened with xylitol can also help you satisfy your sweet tooth while also benefitting your smile.

You heard right—there’s actually a sweetener that is good for your teeth.

Xylitol is low in calories and is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Unlike regular sugar, though, it doesn’t lead to decay. Instead, it promotes a stable, healthy pH level in the mouth, not an overly acidic one. As a result, xylitol candy can actually prevent decay and slow the production of harmful bacteria instead of the opposite. It’s so effective, in fact, that it’s sometimes used in natural toothpastes and mouthwashes.

So, while there’s nothing wrong with handing out Kit Kats and Hershey bars this Halloween, why not use this year’s trick-or-treating season to help others have a healthier smile. Visit your nearest Target, Wal-Mart, or health food store to see what kind of xylitol-sweetened candy they offer. You can also find candy sweetened with xylitol online at xlear.com.

And from all of us at Dr. Jill Wade’s dental office in Frisco, we hope you and your children enjoy a safe, fun, and (xylitol) treat-filled Halloween!

What’s the Relationship between Sugar and Cavities?

What’s the Relationship between Sugar and Cavities?

Halloween is coming up, and with it trick-or-treating. Kids love trick-or-treating, of course, and if we’re honest, we adults will admit we sort of like it too—especially if we can nab the occasional fun-sized candy bar.

But we wouldn’t be doing our part if we didn’t remind our Frisco and DFW-area patients to be careful about their sugar consumption. We don’t think you should avoid it complete of course—where’s the fun in that?—but we do want you to be mindful of how sugar interacts with your teeth. The more you know about this important aspect of oral health, the more proactive you can be about setting limits for yourself and your little one, while still having plenty of fun.

It’s not sugar itself that causes cavities. Instead, cavities are the result of a special chemical process that all begins when you take that first bite of candy or that first sip of Coke. The sugar in that treat catches the attention of a very special kind of bacteria in your mouth. That bacteria feeds on sugar, breaking it down and digesting it. The by-product of this is acid. It’s this acid—not the sugar itself—that wreaks havoc on tooth enamel.

So what can you take away from all this?

First, by all means, have fun on Halloween. But do remember to show moderation when snacking on treats.

Second, brush and floss thoroughly after enjoying your Halloween treats. Brushing and flossing are the best way for you to care for your teeth at home. You can also supplement your normal routine with a fluoride mouthwash. Using a fluoride mouthwash, you can give your teeth access to important minerals that will help them stand strong in the face of decay.

Third, if it’s been more than six months since your last checkup with Dr. Wade, give our Frisco dental office a call. Every checkup involves a professional cleaning to help manage bacteria and plaque, which can also cause gum disease.

Our office proudly serves patients from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony.

Tips for Enjoying a More Nutritious Diet

Tips for Enjoying a More Nutritious Diet

In our last post, we talked about the benefits of a nutritious diet—how it can help you support your overall health, and even your oral health. In today’s post, we’d like to look a little more at the topic of nutrition by offering some specific examples for how you can improve your diet on a daily basis.

First, how can you include more vegetables in your life?

As this article suggests, one way is by including a greater variety of vegetables in an omelet recipe, but you can expand beyond that as well. There are countless recipes for nutritious salads and soups out there. 

Finding them just takes a willingness to look for them, as well as a sense of adventure. Trying new things can be difficult for some, but the rewards are absolutely worth it.

Our second tip has to do with the all-important topic of dessert.

Instead of serving up a bowl of ice cream or snacking on a handful of cookies, experiment with fruit. Mix and match your favorites in a fruit salad, or trying preparing them in ways you’ve never tried before. Sometimes baking a fruit with a spice like cinnamon can result in an exciting combination of flavors and sensations.

But these are just two ideas. For more, take a look at this article to see what you can do to improve your diet. And to reserve an appointment with Dr. Wade, just give Stonebriar Smile Design a call today. We serve patients from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony.

Why Are Nutritious Foods Important for Your Smile?

Why Are Nutritious Foods Important for Your Smile?

If your first thought was, “Because they’re good for your teeth!” then you’re partly right. Certain vitamins and minerals are beneficial for your teeth. But really, the answer to that question is much broader than that. Eating nutritious foods helps you support your overall health, improving your quality of life in a wide range of areas.

This article highlights some of the health problems that a nutritious diet can help you protect against. They include:

·         Heart disease

·         Bone loss

·         Type 2 diabetes

·         High blood pressure

·         Certain types of cancers

So, while all of this might not affect your oral health directly, the implicit recognition is that every aspect of your health—from your smile to the rest of your body—is connected, and that benefits in one area can spread to others as well. As result, taking steps to improve one area may also help you in others.

But of course, a healthy diet is no substitute for great brushing and flossing, or regular dental checkups. To ensure that you’re enjoying optimal oral and overall health, we recommend a combined lifestyle of great nutrition and great oral care.

To learn more about the connection between nutrition and oral health, as well as overall health, call Stonebriar Smile Design to reserve your next visit. Dr. Wade and her friendly team would be happy to help you assess and improve your oral health. Our Frisco office offers excellent cosmetic and wellness services to help patients from Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony achieve optimal oral health.

Call us today to schedule your appointment with Dr. Wade.

Stay Hydrated with Water Instead of Sugary Drinks

If you read our last blog post, then you know how concerned we are about our Frisco patients staying hydrated during the rest of this hot summer. But today’s we’d like turn our attention away from sugary drinks towards the topic of water.

Water is the best drink you can consume, no matter what the temperature is outside. Here are some of the biggest benefits of drinking water:

•  Drinking water helps decrease the body’s acidity levels. As a result, the body produces fewer free radicals and inflammation is reduced.
•  Though not a substitute for brushing and flossing, drinking water after meals helps teeth stay clean by washing away debris and leftover food.
• Water that’s enriched with fluoride can strengthen teeth by attracting important minerals.
• Consuming plenty of water improves the body’s overall function by supporting kidney health, keeping the body hydrated, and helping to maintain a stable weight.

Knowing about the benefits of drinking water puts the whole issue of hydration in perspective. As tasty as fruit juices, soft drinks, sweetened teas, and sports drinks might be, do the pros of regular consumption outweigh the cons? Is it wise to drink beverages that have a negative impact on health when a pure, beneficial drink like water is so easily within reach for most of us?

Do you still have questions about how drinking water can benefit your smile and your overall health? Dr. Jill Wade at Stonebriar Smile Design would love to answer your questions. Call our office today. We serve patients from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony.

How Are You Staying Hydrated This Summer?

Summer may be coming to an end, but it won’t officially be over until September 21. That means that hot temperatures will be with us for at least another month. It also means that staying hydrated will still be a major concern.

But how are you choosing to stay hydrated? Is it by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, or is it with a can of soda or a glass of fruit juice?

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cold, sugar-filled drink from time to time, but relying on them for hydration comes with problems, both for your overall wellbeing and your smile.

The Dangers That Sugary Drinks Pose for Your Smile and Your Overall Health

One of the most obvious problems with sodas is that they often contain caffeine, a diuretic. Because diuretics decrease the amount of water in the body, consuming too many caffeinated drinks during the hot summer months can lead to dehydration.

What’s more, drinks loaded with sugar are also loaded with calories. Soft drinks in particular have been linked to rises in obesity in both children and adults, though fruit juices, sweetened teas, and sports drinks are also to blame.

But overall wellbeing is just one area we’d like to address. The other is in the arena of oral health.

The danger of sugary drinks is that sugar encourages the growth of bacteria, which in turn causes decay, or what you might know better as cavities. What’s more, the acid from sugary drinks can contribute to decay by wearing away the protective enamel that covers teeth. Both of these combine to leave teeth more vulnerable to serious oral health problems.

Do you have questions about sugary drinks and your overall/oral health? Call Stonebriar Smile Design with your questions. Dr. Jill Wade and the friendly team at her Frisco office are happy to answer any questions you might have about sugary drinks and staying hydrated.

SomnoMed—An Alternative Solution for Treating Sleep Apnea

 

SomnoMed—An Alternative Solution for Treating Sleep Apnea

Since June, we’ve been doing a series on sleep apnea, covering topics ranging from the symptoms of sleep apnea, its causes, and how it can be treated with a CPAP machine. Today we’re going to wrap up our series on sleep apnea by talking about a non-surgical alternative to CPAP that’s bringing relief to patients everywhere—an oral appliance from SomnoMed.

Why an Oral Appliance?

In our last post, we mentioned a few reasons for why patients might want to consider an oral appliance over treatment with CPAP. One common problem is that the noise a CPAP machine makes can keep patients or their partners awake, preventing sleep. Other problems include nasal congestion, sore throat, conjunctivitis, skin irritation, and nosebleeds.

All of which is reason enough to consider an oral appliance. An oral appliance is custom-made from an impression of your smile and is designed to fit unobtrusively over your upper and lower teeth. It’s works by repositioning your tongue or lower jawbone, preventing the blockage that commonly causes sleep apnea. As a result, patients are able to sleep easily throughout the night without waking up to take a breath.

Are you ready to make your sleep apnea a thing of the past with an oral appliance from SomnoMed? Dr. Jill Wade and her experienced team are ready to help. Call Stonebriar Smile Design today to schedule your appointment with us. Our office is conveniently located in Frisco and serves patients from Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, The Colony, and beyond.