Healthy Halloween Treats

14 Healthy Halloween Recipes

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BY SOPHIA BREENE | Featured on Greatist

Hosting a Halloween party this year? Treat friends to fun homemade goodies—these 14 recipes are a bit healthier, much cuter, and way more inventive than prepackaged candies. From fresh fruit to low-fat cheese, these tasty All Hallow’s Eve recipes from around the web won’t send you running to the dentist.

1. Candy Corn Chicken Quesadillas

Start the evening with a nutritious, protein-rich dinner that will keep you fueled through hours of Trick or Treating (or Monster Mashing). Add some fiber by subbing in whole-wheat tortillas.

2. Gluten-Free Spiderweb Cupcakes

These healthier treats are made with almond flour, coconut oil, and unsweetened applesauce. Make the creepy-crawly design by dragging a toothpick through the center of concentric circles of icing.

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Toothbrush Tips

Toothbrush Tips to Keep Your Teeth in Shape

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Brushing your teeth seems easy enough. But some toothbrushes are better than others and there is a right and wrong way to brush your teeth.

Brushing your teeth regularly is key to maintaining healthy teeth and gums and preventing periodontal (gum) diseases, but it’s also important to make sure you choose the right toothbrush for your teeth and use proper brushing techniques. Done correctly, brushing your teeth at least twice a day — in the morning and in the evening before going to bed, for at least three minutes — can help ensure long-term dental health.

“It takes time to brush effectively,” says Richard H. Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a former clinical instructor at Boston University Dental School. “Most people just rush through it.” Dr. Price suggests setting a timer for three minutes and brushing and flossing until the time runs out.

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7 Nighttime Tips for Improving Your Oral Health

7 Nighttime Tips for Improving Your Oral Health

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A lot can happen to your mouth in eight hours — especially when you’re sleeping and bacteria are gathering on your teeth. But don’t let the thought of nasty plaque, cavities, tartar, or gingivitis stop you from getting a good night’s rest. There are many ways to maintain your oral health while you sleep. Here are seven tips to get you — and your mouth — through the night.

1. Brush before bed. Brushing your teeth before you go to sleep at night helps protect against plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease. If you are particularly susceptible to cavities and gum disease, dentists recommend that you brush immediately after dinner, then again right before bedtime.

2. Use good form. According to dentists, the best way to clean your teeth is to brush back and forth gently in short strokes. Brush the outer tooth surfaces first, then the inner tooth surfaces, followed by the chewing surfaces. To clean the backs of your front teeth, use the tip of the brush and stroke gently up and down.

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Choosing the right toothbrush.

Toothbrush Tips to Keep Your Teeth in Shape

/in ,

Brushing your teeth seems easy enough. But some toothbrushes are better than others and there is a right and wrong way to brush your teeth.

Brushing your teeth regularly is key to maintaining healthy teeth and gums and preventing periodontal (gum) diseases, but it’s also important to make sure you choose the right toothbrush for your teeth and use proper brushing techniques. Done correctly, brushing your teeth at least twice a day — in the morning and in the evening before going to bed, for at least three minutes — can help ensure long-term dental health.

“It takes time to brush effectively,” says Richard H. Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a former clinical instructor at Boston University Dental School. “Most people just rush through it.” Dr. Price suggests setting a timer for three minutes and brushing and flossing until the time runs out.

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Foods that Mask Bad Breath

Foods That Mask Bad Breath

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These common foods can help hide halitosis — at least for a short while.

Maybe you shouldn’t have had those raw onions with your hamburger at lunch, because now you’re faced with bad breath all afternoon. Many people find they can’t hide what they ate because certain foods linger in their systems, causing bad breath. Onions and garlic are probably the most common and most well-known instigators of bad breath, or halitosis, but there are others.

The issue with foods like onions and garlic is that they contain pungent oils that get carried through your bloodstream to your lungs. When you breathe out, the pungent leftovers are exhaled too.

Fortunately, just as eating certain foods can cause your breath to be unpleasant, other foods can help mask bad breath — for a time. “It will only be temporary,” notes Gerald P. Curatola, DDS, clinical associate professor at the New York University College of Dentistry and an oral health and wellness expert for The Dr. Oz Show. The following foods could provide relief for an hour or two, until you are able to attack the underlying cause — odor-producing bacteria in your mouth.

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Besty Way to Floss Braces - Biermann Orthodontics

Got Braces? It’s Easier to Clean & Floss with a Water Flosser

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Cleaning Dental Braces

Dental braces can create oral health problems such as gingivitis and decalcification (white marks), which lead to more serious issues.

  • Gingivitis is the earliest sign of gum disease. It appears as red, swollen, and shiny gums that bleed easily. It is caused by plaque that irritates the gum tissue and causes an infection.
  • Decalcification affects your tooth enamel, causing white spots or lesions on your teeth. It is caused by a combination of plaque and acid production after you eat and drink. Decalcification is impossible to correct, so prevention is critical.

You can minimize or prevent oral health problems caused by dental braces with good dental and orthodontic care.

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10 Tips for Healthy, White Teeth - Biermann Orthodontics

10 Tips for Healthy, White Teeth

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Not only do your teeth help you talk and chew, they can make or break your appearance. Here are 10 secrets for keeping your pearly whites in tip-top shape.

1. Go on a white-teeth diet.
If you’re quaffing red wine and black tea, or smoking cigarettes or cigars, expect the results to show up as not-so-pearly whites. Other culprits to blame for dingy teeth include colas, gravies, and dark juices. Bottom line: If it’s dark before you put it in your mouth, it will probably stain your teeth. Brush immediately after eating or drinking foods that stain teeth and use a good bleaching agent, either over-the-counter or in the dentist’s office. For convenient teeth-cleaning action, eat an apple.

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Banish Bad Breath - Biermann Orthodontics

5 Surprising Ways to Banish Bad Breath

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By Douglas Main

Just as nobody likes a whiner, nobody likes bad breath. It’s a powerful way to make a bad first impression. But the good news is that there are relatively simple ways to take care of halitosis.

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