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IT’S IMPORTANT TO EAT RIGHT to maintain the oral health of your teeth and gums. This is especially true during braces.

Eating Right Helps Fend Off Plaque, Gingivitis, And Periodontal Disease

A healthy diet will maintain healthy tooth enamel and prevent the formation of plaque, white spot lesions, and tooth decay. Eating the right nutritious foods will produce strong and healthy gums, and will help prevent gingivitis and gum disease.

Foods to avoid to maintain tooth and gum health include acidic drinks with lemon, soda, and candy. These can damage and erode your enamel making you prone to tooth sensitivity, decalcification, and cavities. Potato chips and cookies can contribute to tooth plaque. Be sure to brush and floss at least twice per day to prevent the unwanted dental effects of these and other foods.

“Super-Smile” Foods That May Surprise You

Healthy and nutritious foods for teeth and gums include those rich in calcium and vitamin D. Here is a list of foods considered extremely healthy for your teeth:

1. Salmon- increases calcium absorption
2. Broccoli- reduces acid erosion
3. Onions- reduce bacteria
4. Celery- massages gums, cleans teeth, produces saliva
5. Apples- prevent plaque
6. Kiwi- vitamin C rich to increase collegen for gums
7. Paprika- high concentration of Vitamin C for gums
8. Jello- collagen for healthy gums
9. Carrots- prevent plaque
10. Quinoa- contains vitamins and minerals
11. Shiitaki Mushrooms- prevent mouth bacterial growth
12. Sesame Seeds- clear plaque and supply calcium
13. Milk- rich in calcium and vitamin D for strong bones and teeth

Check Out These Awesome Recipe Books

For healthy and brace friendly recipes, check out the cook books by Pamela Waterman.

If you would like to learn more about healthy and nutritious foods and recipes you can enjoy during braces, visit us at Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, CA. You can find us at www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000.

We wish you happy and healthy cooking and delicious foods during your braces. Eat right for a gorgeous smile.

"Life is a wondrous phenomenon. I can only hope that some day man will achieve a deeper insight into its nature and its guiding principles and will be able to express them in more exact terms...To express the marvels of nature in the language of science is one of man's noblest endeavors."
-Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

FOR CENTURIES, scurvy plagued sailors, pirates, and others aboard ships at sea longer than perishable raw fruits and vegetables could be stored. The signs and symptoms of survey include bleeding gums, gum disease, loosening of teeth, as well as skin and wound healing changes. It is estimated that between the years 1500 to 1800 at least two million sailors died of scurvy. Scurvy can still be found as a severe sign of malnutrition today.

A Brief History of the Discovery of Vitamin C

In 1742, scurvy was finally eradicated from the Royal Navy when fresh lemons were implemented. Soon a concentrated drink, Rose's lime juice, became a requirement of all ships, hence the term "limey", first for British sailors, then for English immigrants, and finally, in old American slang, for British people.

Bleeding gums can be an early sign of malnutrition or a poor diet which excludes uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables. In the late 1960s, a study of Iowa state prisoner "volunteers" discovered that the first signs of scurvy from a vitamin-C deficient diet would occur in as little as four weeks.

Although orange juice and lemon juice had high levels of vitamin C, they contained sugars that made purification of this important nutritional agent extremely difficult. It wasn't until scientist Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was eating dinner in the Paprika capital of the world, Szeged, Hungary, that the agent of Vitamin C was discovered. In guinea pigs, he had been looking for an anti-scorbutic agent for scorbutus, latin for scurvy, induced by a totally cooked food diet. His wife served him fresh red paprika. "I did not feel like eating. Suddenly it occurred to me that this...I had never tested. I took the paprika to the laboratory...about midnight I knew that it was a treasure chest of vitamin C." His ascorbic acid from paprika when fed to the scurvy guinea pigs cured them. It was the equivalent to vitamin C.

A “Nobel” Effort

In 1937, just four year after his paprika ascorbic acid identification of vitamin C, Szent-Gyorgyi received the Nobel Prize for his seminal work. He immigrated to the United States in 1947 where he worked at the Institute of Muscle Research at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He died in 1986.

Ann Marie Gorczyca, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Gorczyca Orthodontics, Antioch, California
www.clubbraces.com

UNDER ALL THAT AWESOME ORTHODONTIC WORK we’re doing together, we’re well aware that there are teeth! And, we’re always concerned about their health during your orthodontic treatment period. Most of us have been told (and many of us tell our children) that drinking milk builds healthy teeth and bones. But our nutritional and dietary preferences are not only widely varied, they also change from time to time. Does milk really “do a body good”? Some believe it does, and others believe it doesn’t.

Regardless of your take, you’re not alone. Today, millions of people follow vegan or vegetarian diets, and tens of millions of people are lactose intolerant. Whether or not you choose to avoid dairy for health or other personal reasons, here are some thoughts from our team and a prominent nutritionist.

Calcium And Vitamin D Are Important To Oral Health

It’s true that dairy products are full of calcium, and often supplemented with vitamin D (which helps your body absorb calcium and other bone-building minerals). While people on specialized diets (including vegans and vegetarians) are typically very careful about eating healthy, there’s still a risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiency.

One of the dangers in calcium and vitamin D deficiency is the increased risk of periodontal (gum) disease. In addition, these deficiencies can weaken your teeth and lead to tooth decay. Without the right vitamins and minerals, your mouth’s defenses may be down.

There ARE Alternatives To Dairy Products

The good news is that, if you choose, you can get these nutrients from alternative sources. For example, just one ounce of sesame seeds contains almost as much calcium as an entire glass of milk. Other major sources of calcium are dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens.

When it comes to vitamin D, surprisingly, your best source is the sun! When exposed to the sun’s radiation, your body naturally produces vitamin D. But of course, be careful and use common sense—you also know the potential problems associated with prolonged/unprotected sun exposure.

There are also a number of things we can eat and drink that are “fortified” with calcium and vitamin D including soy milk, orange juice and some breakfast cereals. You can also consider taking supplements.

Do you have questions about this topic? Contact us! Do you have suggestions for others who may be wondering about other sources for their daily calcium? Let us know! Leave a comment below, or on our Facebook page. We love hearing from you!

And, as always, thank you for being our valued patient!

THINK OF THE LAST TIME you gave up something good to get something even better in the future. During the course of your orthodontic treatment, it’s possible you may need to give up good teeth for a better smile!

Understandably, the thought is a little unsettling. But when you understand the reasons and see the results, you’ll look back and see it was the right decision all along.

Some Teeth Just Don’t Fit

One of the most common issues orthodontic treatment addresses is crowding—when there is not enough space for all the teeth to fit normally, causing them to twist and turn.

Often, braces are enough to rearrange teeth into a healthy dental arch, but in some cases extractions are the best option for beginning to align your teeth. Removing teeth can also be key in solving underbite, overbite, and problems with protrusive teeth.

Pain-Free Extraction, Rapid Recovery

When performed by an experienced specialist, removing a tooth is simple and pain free. If you have any questions about the process, please talk to us!

Making Room For Your Perfect Smile

This case was treated by Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca. We understand that the decision to extract a tooth is not one to be taken lightly. At Gorczyca Orthodontics, we carefully examine dental models, x-rays, photos, and jaw structure to determine the best way to create your beautiful new smile. By considering all treatment options, we find the one that will most efficiently give you the best results in optimal treatment time.

We treasure the trust you have placed in us as your orthodontic specialists. Find us at www.clubbraces.com or call us at (925) 757-9000.

Thank you for being our valued patient and friend!

Top image by Flickr user Axion23 used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.