Teeth-friendly Summer Snacks

School's out for summer and the temperatures are heating up in Washington DC, Arlington, Rosslyn, and the areas around us. We hope you find plenty of time to get outside and enjoy the nice weather with a day at the beach or a picnic at the park.

As your Washington DC dentist and Arlington dentist, we want to give you some tips for teeth-friendly summer snacking, because some of the most tempting summer treats (such as popsicles and lemonade) aren't such good foods for your teeth. But you should know that there are some great summer foods that are good for a day at the beach and good for your teeth!

Firm, crunchy, fibrous fruits are great choices. Toss a couple apples and pears in a picnic basket. These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid). An apple is also an ideal food for cleansing and brightening teeth between normal brushing. The crunchy apple bits act like a toothbrush and get to work on the stains and particles on your teeth.

Chop up fresh veggies and bring those along with other snacks such as string cheese and nuts. These foods provide calcium and phosphorus which are needed to keep tooth enamel healthy and remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).

If you find yourself tempted to have a summer treat and eat something with a high sugar or acid content, be sure to drink plenty of water to help wash away some of the sugar coating and buffer some of the effects of the acidity. As always, be sure to brush and floss, and come visit us at one of our Arlington, VA dentist offices this summer for cleaning and teeth whitening services.

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Will Smiling Help You Live Longer?

Research has long shown that smiling and laughter contribute to relaxation and feelings of positivity which can help you relax, bolster your immune system, and potentially lower your blood pressure. All great reasons to smile!

A recent Wayne State University study has expanded on that notion, theorizing that the larger you smile (a.k.a. smile intensity), the longer you may live. As your Arlington, VA dentist and your Washington DC dentist, we are dedicated to giving you more reasons to smile - and smile big!

Professors Ernest L. Abel and Michael L. Kruger conducted a case study that used a sampling of 230 photographs of baseball players culled from the now-defunct Sporting News Baseball Register. The players' 1952 headshots were analyzed by researchers and identified as either "no smile," "partial smile," or "full (Duchenne) smile." The researchers compiled the life data (birth, death, education, marital status, etc.) for the baseball players and controlled for body mass index, career length, marital status, college attendance, and other longevity factors.

The results? Smile big and you might live an extra seven years.

The players with no smile at all lived for an average of only 72.9 years, a full two years less than those who exhibited partial smiles. The players with the biggest grins had an even longer lifespan: Players with full smiles lived to 79.9 years, almost two years longer than the typical life expectancy for an American. That’s an overall difference of seven years of life between those players that chose not to smile and those who gave wholehearted grins.

These interesting results raise additional questions. Did the smiling players live longer because smiling creates the health benefits of positive emotionality such as stronger immune systems, lower stress, and lower blood pressure? Or was it that players with greater health were more likely to feel happy and therefore smile?

Either way, smiling is healthy. At SmileDesigner, we can give you more reasons to show a your big grin with our cleaning and preventative care services, cosmetic dentistry options, and teeth whitening plans.
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