At AH Smiles, we help our patients achieve beautiful and healthy smiles in our Arlington Heights, IL dentist office. We provide treatment plans designed to meet your dental needs. We encourage open communication so that you feel confident about the care you will receive. Many patients often ask us what foods they can eat that are smile-friendly, and dentist-approved. Here are our best suggestions for snacking smartly:
Fruit Smoothies
Fruit smoothies are an excellent snack for patients with a sweet tooth. Not only do you get all of the vitamins and minerals from the fruit, but you can also add yogurt to provide your teeth, gums, and jawbone with additional calcium. Any type of fruit smoothie will do, though our personal favorites are smoothies that include strawberries and kiwis, which both contain a good amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for your dental health because it helps you fight off infections like gum disease. Additionally, drinking your smoothies with a straw will help reduce the contact between the natural staining agents in the fruit against your pearly white dental structures.
Hummus and Pita Bread
This snack is not only delicious but also extremely smile-friendly for patients who experience frequent jaw pain, tension headaches, or earaches. Commonly called TMJ disorder, symptoms like jaw pain can have a variety of causes, most of which are related to an imbalance in the bite which puts undue pressure on the jaw joints. If you suffer from jaw pain, the best thing for your smile during a flare-up is to reduce the amount of chewing pressure that your joints have to endure. Here are some other suggestions for you if you are currently experiencing jaw pain:
- Take ibuprofen to manage discomfort in the moment
- Avoid excessively crunchy or chewy foods and Opt for softer snacks
- Schedule A TMJ consultation with Dr. Engelberg
Cheese
Cheese is the ultimate smile-friendly snack. Not only is it packed with calcium, which your teeth need to remain strong, but it is also very easy to chew without putting too much pressure on your jaw joints. Any kind of cheese will do, but we recommend string cheese, cubed cheese, or sliced cheese for snacking convenience.
If you are looking to learn more about what you can do at home to help your overall dental health, schedule a routine dental appointment with AH Smiles. Dr. Engelberg and our caring staff will help you better understand what your smile needs to remain healthy and beautiful.