Tag: sugarless gum

How Acidic Foods Can Harm Your Oral Health

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Let’s be honest: foods with high acidity can be scrumptious. They also eat away at your tooth enamel, creating tooth decay and cavities. Dentists call this dental erosion. That’s one reason why it’s important to limit the amount of acidic foods that you consume.

Some of the most common culprits include alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and fruit juices. Citrus fruits are also highly acidic and can damage your teeth. You’ll also want to avoid foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar. Bacteria in your mouth can convert these sugars into harmful acids. Sour sweets, which contain both sugar and acid, can stick to teeth, leading to prolonged acid contact with tooth enamel.

So how does one continue to enjoy these foods in moderation? One tip is to never eat and drink them with other ph-balancing foods in a meal. Dairy and protein are great at neutralizing acids. Another thing to remember is not to brush your teeth immediately after eating acidic meals. Some teeth become hypersensitive due to acidic exposure and may be damaged by toothpaste. Instead, try chewing sugarless gum to help promote saliva production within your mouth. This will help clear the acids and prepare your teeth for brushing, which you can do as soon as 30 minutes after you finish eating.

If you would like Drs. Paul Stanovick, Brant Stanovick, and our team at Paul R. Stanovick, DDS to give you an oral exam or professional cleaning, please contact our dentist office in Mechanicsville, Virginia, by calling us at 804-781-1919. Have a beautiful day!

Chewing Gum and Its Oral Health Care Benefits

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The oral health care benefits of chewing gum are often disputed as gum itself cannot directly do much for your smile, other than help brush away food particles that may cling to your teeth and gums. In addition, if you suffer from a temporomandibular disorder in your jaw or if the gum contains sugar, you could actually do more damage to your oral health.

The best use for sugarless gum is to promote the creation of saliva in your mouth. Saliva has known cavity-fighting properties including neutralizing harmful acids as well as helping to wash away bacteria and food particles. Studies have shown that by chewing sugarless gum for up to twenty minutes after mealtime can stimulate enough saliva to help prevent cavities and keep your smile safe.

Sugarless gum is also capable of helping prevent and treat individuals suffering from heartburn. Heartburn is caused when stomach acids travel up the stomach, often into the mouth. These acids can cause dental erosion and need to be dealt with whenever serious heartburn occurs. Saliva created by sugarless gum is an excellent tool in combatting the acid’s harmful effects.

Don’t delay in visiting our team at [practice_name] to check if your teeth need our help. To schedule an appointment with Dr. [doctor_name] and our team at our dentist office in Mechanicsville, Virginia, please call us at 804-781-1919. A healthy smile is a happy smile!

Don’t Forget to Add These Smile Friendly Thanksgiving Foods to the Menu

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While you are cooking up a storm this Thanksgiving holiday, Dr. Paul R. Stanovick, Brant Stanovick, and our team in Mechanicsville, Virginia, hope you include some smile-friendly fare on your menu. Most people are familiar with heart-healthy food choices, but smile-friendly food choices are not as well-known, yet both are vital to good health. Following are some smile-friendly choices we hope you include in your family’s bounteous spread.

— Chewing cheddar cheese lowers acid levels in the mouth and stimulates saliva production, both of which promote good oral health. Cheese also has calcium and protein which aids tooth enamel.

— Crunchy foods like apples, raw carrots, and celery can help clean plaque off of your pearly whites. They also contain fiber, which stimulates both the gums and saliva production which help wash away plaque.

— If you want to build tooth enamel, in addition to cheese, eat plenty of leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and almonds, which contain calcium. And meat, eggs, and fish supply the body with phosphorous, which also helps tooth enamel.

— If you have eaten and can’t brush your teeth, chewing sugarless gum helps remove bacteria in the mouth, which prevents plaque from building up on your teeth.

— Drinking milk after consuming sugary foods can help neutralize the acid created by bacteria which forms into plaque.

— Polyphenols, which are compounds found in both black and green teas, slow down bacterial growth that can cause cavities and gum disease. Drinking these teas are also good for fighting bad breath.

As you can see, you can help your family enjoy the holidays while protecting those hard-earned smiles. Remember to brush and floss no matter how busy you are, and keep those twice a year dental cleanings and checkups. To schedule a visit for you or a family member, please call 804-781-1919 today. Dr. Paul R. Stanovick, Brant Stanovick and the rest of our team at Paul R. Stanovick, DDS wish you and yours a healthy Thanksgiving!

Keeping Ahead of COVID-19

Providing a safe environment for treatment and control for infectious disease is always a priority at Paul Stanovick DDS. Our expansive reception area and large outdoor deck provides space to easily support regulations surrounding social distancing. The treatment rooms provide an extra layer of protection as they are sanitized between each patient and provide clean air through air purifiers located in each room. You will see some changes during your next appointment as we have added precautions to protect patients and staff. You will be asked to enter the building with use of facial protection and asked to wear it until you are in the treatment room. Hand sanitizer is also available throughout the whole building for your use. You may notice that our magazine and children’s books have been removed from the reception area as they are harder to disinfect. We have installed plexiglass around our front reception area for added distancing between front staff and patients waiting for appointments. Air purifiers have been placed in every operatory with two larger purifiers in the front and back of the office. We have provided face shields, lab jackets and barrier gowns for all clinical staff. Our hours of operation will still remain Monday -Friday 8am-5pm. We are looking forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about treatment and the safety precautions we are taking here at the practice. If you would like to make an appointment you can give us a call or text 804.781.1919. Thank you for your patience during these changing times and for your trust in us with taking care of your dental needs. Sincerely, Dr. Paul Stanovick, Dr. Brant Stanovick, and Staff.