For many, the summer months bring about sleepy vacations, exciting activities, time spent with the family and, of course, seasonal summer treats. As the weather gets warmer, you’ll notice lots of seasonal fruits and veggies looking plump and healthy all over the supermarket. If you’re lucky enough to live in a place that’s just the right temperature, you can even take a crack and growing some summer snacks yourself. While it’s important to be mindful of your dental health throughout the year, summer is a great time to start choosing seasonal foods that will really make your smile shine.
Strawberries
Strawberries are the perfect choice for boosting your oral health. Candy lovers and sweet addicts can snack on strawberries in place of surgery, teeth-eroding junk. During the summer months it’s easy to find super sweet, plump, beautiful strawberries at local farmer’s markets, and even general grocery stores. Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, which make them a perfect snack when recovering from tooth extractions, gum grafts and most oral surgeries. Large doses of Vitamin C can speed up the recovery process. This summer super food is also packed with calcium, which is essential for all of our bones- including our teeth. Just one cup of strawberries is filled with maximum amounts of magnesium, folate and potassium: all necessary for a glowing smile! As if this weren’t enough to have you loading your fridge up with beautiful berries for the summer, strawberries have also been known to help clean your teeth too! The seeds can work as “scrubbers” which may help remove plaque build-up.
Watermelon
Summer barbeques are never complete without giant slabs of fresh, juicy watermelon. Not only is watermelon tasty and refreshing on hot days, it’s also great for your teeth. Watermelon is mostly water and water stimulates saliva flow, which is very effective in maintaining healthy, white teeth. Watermelon, like strawberries, is also packed with antioxidants and tons of Vitamin C which are great when going through any kind of recovery. Snacking on watermelon will also fill you up with Vitamin A, a vitamin this is great for your skin. Clear, healthy skin always makes your smile pop even more!
Salads
Outdoor eating is never complete without a nice big bowl of leafy greens and rich vegetables. Salads featuring spinach, romaine and other leafy greens are packed with fiber with is good for your digestion and overall health. Spinach and many other high-fiber greens can actually work wonders for your teeth, mostly because they require a lot of chewing. These tasty greens can physically scrub the teeth while chewing, working sort of like a dog’s milk bone. The extra chewing and scrubbing, combined with the enrichment of important vitamins, make salads a go-to summer staple for general health and a bright smile!
Whether you’re hitting the pool, traveling the world, or just staying in for some lazy summer weekends, being aware of your oral health during changing seasons and new adventures will give you a long-lasting, beautiful smile. Always remember that in addition to making healthy food choices, annual visits to your dentist and daily brushing will all contribute in giving you that bright, summer smile!
Coastal Connecticut Dentistry, LLC
112 Cross Road
Waterford, CT 06385
(860) 447-1787
https://coastalctdental.com/
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