Healthy Choice of the Week: YOGURT

Healthy Choice of the Week: YOGURT

A major cause of bad breath, plaque, and gum disease is a buildup of bacteria. Research shows that the good bacteria in yogurt may help fight the bad ones in your mouth!

In fact according to one study, those who eat yogurt 4 or more times a week tend to get fewer cavities. So try to add some plain, sugar free yogurt to your day - if you must have it sweetened, try stirring in some honey which also contains compounds that prevent bacteria!

Healthy Choice of the Week: GREEN TEA!

Healthy Choice of the Week: GREEN TEA!

Did you know, this drink (rich in antioxidants) contains compounds that appear to control inflammation and fight bacterial infection?


Research suggests that drinking Green Tea can aid in cavity prevention, gum health, prevent tooth loss, inhibit cancer growth, and give you better breath!


To get the maximum health and flavor benefits - make sure your green tea is brewed properly. Bringing filtered water to a boil, pour over tea leaves or a teabag and let it steep, covered, for 2-5 minutes (the longer the tea is steeped for, the higher antioxidant content).

Back to School Checklist

For those of you with school age children, you know that school is just around the corner. Granted there is still some summer left to enjoy, we want to make sure you are ready when the big day comes.

See below for a quick checklist to use in preparing your family for this school year:

• Stock Up On School Supplies
• Confirm Babysitting Arrangements
• Plan Healthy Meals
• Organize Your Calendar (After school activities, parent teacher conferences, etc)
• Lay The Ground Rules (bedtime, homework, etc)
• Fill Out Necessary Medical Forms and Emergency Contact Sheets
• Schedule Physical Exams, Eye Exams, and Dental Visits

 Make sure you schedule your child’s back to school dental visit with us today! Please contact one of our offices!

• West Dearborn – (313) 908-5110
• Woodhaven – (734) 365-7720

 For more on a parent’s Back-to-School checklist, please click here!

Alternative Uses for Toothpaste

So, you’re cleaning out your bathroom drawers and find three old tubes half-filled with toothpaste. What do you do? Throw them out? No way. Turns out, there are a lot more uses for toothpaste than you could ever think of! So, if you need something to do with all of your excess toothpaste, or have one of these problems listed below… Toothpaste might be the answer!

 Here are a few things you can use toothpaste for:

• Relieving bug bites, blisters, and sores. A drop of toothpaste can stop itching and decrease swelling!
• Strengthening your fingernails. If you apply toothpaste underneath and on top of your nails, it acts as a cleaner, shiner, and strengthener.
• Removing stains! You can scrub toothpaste directly on top of clothes, carpets, or shoes until the stain vanishes.
• Shining jewelry. Gently rub toothpaste on to the jewelry and leave it overnight. Wipe it clean in the morning with a soft cloth and see results.
• Removing crayons from walls! Grab a scrub brush and rub away the mess.
• Defogging goggles. Who knew!? Rinsing toothpaste off the lenses eliminates the fog.
• Removing DVD smudges. If the scratches aren’t too deep, rubbing a thin coating over the area and washing it clean can remove the imperfection!

So, what are you waiting for? Put your extra toothpaste to good use! To see more creative uses for toothpaste, read the rest of the article here. Let us know of any other uses you have for toothpaste on our Facebook page. Good luck!

Healthy Choice of the Week: SPINACH!

Healthy Choice of the Week: SPINACH!

Do you want to know a quick natural way to reduce tooth pain? The answer is simple, all you have to do is eat Spinach! The oxalic acid found in spinach is the same tropical tooth sensitivity treatment you receive from your dentist. 

The calcium binding properties of oxalate acid that is found in spinach actually cause them to precipitate as crystals on the surfaces of your teeth.

Try substituting your salad lettuce with spinach! Let us know how you fit spinach into your diet on our Facebook page.

Healthy Choice of the Week: PEARS!

Healthy Choice of the Week: PEARS!

Fresh fruit is a great option for healthier teeth since, like veggies, its fibrous nature stimulates saliva production. Pears in particular have been found to have a larger acid neutralizing effect on tooth surface than other kinds of fresh fruit, including mandarins, pineapples, and bananas.

Just be sure to skip the dried fruit when it comes to teeth- their sticky and sugary nature make them tooth enamel killers.

Good news! Michigan's season for pears is August-October, go ahead and stock up!

Posture and Your Oral Health

We all know that good posture is important; it’s almost a universal fact. Still many people don’t realize that bad posture can affect your oral health.

People often ask how poor posture is connected to jaw joint pain. Improper posture places the spine in a position that causes stress to the jaw joint. Being slouched or hunched over causes the lower jaw to shift forward, causing the upper and lower teeth to not fit together properly, and pushing the skull back on the spinal column.

Continuing to slouch or hunch over will put stress on your muscles, joints and bones.  Which leads to inflammation in your muscles and joints followed up by pain.  Furthermore, bad posture often alternates the position of the facial muscles and will cause bumps and grooves on the upper and lower teeth.

So be sure to take steps to avoid these issues and practice perfect posture. Core Performance has provided 5 easy tips you can practice anywhere at anytime:

1. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and down.
2. Elevate your chest.
3. Keep your tummy drawn up and in.
4. If you’re standing with perfect posture, your ears should be in line with your shoulders, your hips with your knees, and your knees with your ankles.
5. If you are seated, there should be a line between your ears and hips.

If you’re experiencing frequent headaches or pain in your lower jaw – please contact one of our offices!

• West Dearborn – (313) 908-5110
• Woodhaven – (734) 365-7720