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We mark special times throughout the year to encourage better oral health, like Dental Hygiene Month, and Children’s Dental Health Month, and even National Root Canal Day! This July 21st is National Junk Food Day, and we couldn’t let it pass without some healthy ideas to help you make the best of this not-so-dentally-healthy day.

What makes junk food unhealthy? Most of the foods in this category have high levels of sugars, starches, salts, or fats, which aren’t good for your body in large quantities. When it comes to your dental health in particular, some junk foods are worse than others because they are actively destructive to your tooth enamel.

Foods like candy, cookies, doughnuts, chips, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sodas can have large amounts of sugar, starch, and acid. And a diet filled with sugars, starches, and acids puts your tooth enamel under constant attack. 

The bacteria in plaque make acids from the sugars and starches (which break down into sugars) in our diets. These acids then erode the mineral crystals which give our enamel its strength, leaving weak spots which can deepen and become cavities. A steady diet of sweet and starchy foods for you creates a steady diet of sugar for cavity-causing bacteria. 

Just like the acids produced by bacteria can erode tooth enamel, acids in food can also strip away the minerals which keep your enamel strong. Sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and many fruit juices are often both sugary and highly acidic, making them very damaging to tooth enamel.

So, let’s spend a few moments today to discuss how you can enjoy a bit of junk food every now and then and still take good care of your teeth.

• Limit Sugars, Starches, and Acids

We don’t just mean limiting the number of treats you eat in a day. It’s also a good idea to limit treats to certain times as well. Eat desserts with meals, when saliva production is higher, to help wash away sugary and starchy food particles. Acidic drinks, when sipped throughout the day, are like bathing your teeth in acids. Better to drink a soda or sports drink in one sitting and drink or rinse with water after! 

• Brush after Eating Sticky Sugary and Starchy Foods

Sticky foods filled with sugars and starches are double jeopardy for your tooth enamel. Not only are they the foods of choice for plaque bacteria, they also tend to stick to your enamel and between your teeth, giving cavity-causing bacteria more time to work. An after-treat brushing will get rid of any sugary or starchy leftovers as well as removing built up plaque.

• —But Don’t Brush Too Soon After Acidic Foods and Drinks

When you eat or drink something acidic, your enamel is more vulnerable to damage immediately afterward because acids remove minerals from tooth enamel. If you brush right away, even soft bristles can be abrasive. Wait about 60 minutes to brush, which gives your tooth surface time to get strong again with the enamel-building minerals found in saliva. 

• Make Water Part of Your Healthy Diet

Easy, available, inexpensive—what’s not to like about water? Oh, and it’s also healthy for your teeth! Rinsing with water after a treat helps remove lingering food particles and acids. And drinking water when you’re thirsty helps you produce saliva. Saliva not only rinses our teeth, it helps neutralize acids and helps replace calcium and phosphate minerals which may have been stripped away by acids.

This July 21st, we’re not really celebrating junk food—we’re celebrating all the things you do to protect your oral health. So, whether you’re indulging today or not, keep your teeth their healthiest by making junk food a rare treat, keeping up with your daily brushing and flossing, and seeing your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings. Let’s make National Junk Food Day just another day in a year filled with healthy smiles!

We get it. You’re working out and could use a boost. It’s 2 a.m. and that essay won’t write itself (darn it). You’re in the middle of a meeting that goes on and on and . . . 

It’s easy to reach for an energy drink when you’re feeling a bit low on, well, energy. These drinks are loaded with caffeine, and, like coffee or tea, can help you feel more alert. But before you pop that top, let’s look at how energy drinks affect your dental health.

• Energy drinks are very acidic.

Acid levels are measured using the pH scale, which ranges from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most alkaline). Saliva has a normal pH somewhere between 6.2 and 7.6, which helps neutralize any acidic conditions in the mouth and promotes a healthy oral environment. But saliva’s neutralizing effect can be overwhelmed by highly acidic foods and drinks.

Why are higher levels of acids bad for our teeth? Acids strip away minerals like calcium from tooth enamel, the minerals which make enamel the strongest substance in the body. This demineralization weakens the enamel’s protective outer structure and can lead to enamel loss, sensitivity, tooth discoloration, and decay.

Many energy drinks are among the most acidic beverages on the market. Mineral loss in your enamel starts to occur when the pH balance in the mouth falls to 5.5 or less. Lemon juice has a pH between 2 and 3. White vinegar has a pH of 2.5. Energy drinks can range from 1.5 to 3.5 on the pH scale! Studies show that regular consumption of energy drinks greatly increases the risk and severity of dental erosion.

• Most energy drinks are full of sugar.

Sugar is easily metabolized, or broken down, by the body. When our bodies break down food, energy is released. That’s why companies add sugar as well as caffeine to their energy drinks. 

The plaque bacteria which create cavities also use sugars in these drinks as an energy source, converting sugars into acids. Just like acidic foods and drinks, bacterial acids break down the mineral structure in tooth enamel. You might notice small white spots when the enamel starts to erode—and a cavity starts to develop. 

• Energy drinks aren’t just bad for your dental health. 

The temporary burst of energy you get from all the sugar in energy drinks is followed by a sugar crash when blood sugar levels go down again, and you can feel tired, weak, or shaky. 

Even worse, one energy drink might contain three to four times the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee. Excess caffeine interferes with healthy sleep. It can cause changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels. 

Children and teens are especially vulnerable to the effects of large amounts of caffeine while their brains and bodies are still developing. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend no energy drinks at all for children and teenagers. The FDA suggests that adults should not take in more than 400 milligrams per day of caffeine, while energy drinks can range from around 80 to 400 mg per can. 

If you do have the occasional energy drink, what’s the best way to protect your teeth and gums?

• Don’t linger over your drink. Sipping slowly over time just bathes your teeth and gums in sugar and acids over a longer period. 
• Drink water when you’re done. Water helps wash away sugars and acids, hydrates, and promotes healthy saliva production.
• If the team at Pediatric Dental Associates gives gum a thumbs up, chew a piece of sugarless gum after downing an energy drink to increase saliva flow and help neutralize acids in the mouth. 
• Wait at least 30-60 minutes to brush after finishing an energy drink. Acids in the drink weaken enamel, and brushing immediately can be abrasive to the tooth surface.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in proteins, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals to feel more energetic.
• Keep up with good dental hygiene. Brush twice each day for two minutes and floss daily, or more often as recommended by Dr. Michelle Slezewski and Dr. Paul Engibous.

If you notice signs of enamel erosion—sensitivity, front teeth which are becoming transparent or rough around the edges, yellowish discoloration, or white or brown spots on your enamel—it’s time for a talk with Dr. Michelle Slezewski and Dr. Paul Engibous. When caught early enough, treatment is available which can stop further erosion from harming your teeth.

The team at Pediatric Dental Associates in Anchorage, AK, or your doctor, can help you discover healthy ways to stay focused and energetic. Your workout, your essay, your meeting, and, above all, your healthy body and healthy smile will thank you!

Many studies over the past several years have focused on this question. Since we will all face stressful situations during our life, it is a good question to ask. This question also delves into the mind-body connection—the psychological having an effect on the physical and vice versa.

Studies were performed as far back as the 1940s and continue today. Many of them have shown that stress "downregulates" or hinders cellular immune response. The most common periodontal diseases related to this stress-induced downregulation are gingivitis and periodontitis.

It is believed that stress and depression contribute to a state of chronic inflammation within the body. Stress also raises levels of cortisol in your body, which has been linked in studies to higher levels of tooth loss and deeper pockets between the gums and teeth.

Perhaps the biological side of this equation makes sense, but an important factor is that people who are stressed and/or depressed tend to neglect oral hygiene and other health-promoting activities. The studies seem to support both the behavioral and biological effects as risk factors for periodontal disease.

Here are some things you can do to help prevent stress-related periodontal problems:

• Daily relaxation –You may consider meditation or yoga. Both have been proven effective at easing stress.
• Practice good oral hygiene – Don't let your oral hygiene fall by the wayside. Doing so will obviously have a detrimental effect on your oral health. You should also aim to quit smoking if you do smoke.
• Get regular dental checkups – Getting regular checkups will help you to spot anything that's amiss before it gets out of hand. You can speak with your dentist if you have any pain or concerns and have them take a look.

Stress is something that affects all of us but it can be managed. Each one of us may manage it in a different way. Find what works for you and always make sure to keep up with your oral hygiene routine. For more information about stress-related periodontal issues, schedule an appointment with Dr. Michelle Slezewski and Dr. Paul Engibous at our Anchorage, AK office.

Now that you’re entering the working world, or heading off to college, or pursuing any of the many adventures awaiting you in adult life, you’re ready to take on more adult responsibilities. And one of those responsibilities is making sure you maintain your dental health.  

Luckily, it’s not that hard! Successful adulting often means simply making small proactive choices which add up to big long-term benefits. So, let’s look at a few of the everyday habits of dentally successful adults.

Choose a Healthy Lifestyle

• Eat well.

Just like the rest of our bodies, our teeth and gums need a healthy diet to thrive. Sugar-fueled study sessions and energy drink-filled work hours should be the rare exception, not the norm. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals keeps gums healthy and enamel strong.

• Don’t use tobacco products. 

Cigarettes, cigars, pipe smoking, chewing tobacco—any form of tobacco products, especially combined with alcohol use, can greatly increase your chances of developing mouth and throat cancers.

• Talk to your doctor about the HPV vaccine.

HPV (human papillomavirus) can also cause mouth and throat cancers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the HPV vaccine for kids ages nine through 12. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, talk to Dr. Michelle Slezewski and Dr. Paul Engibous about the potential benefits of the HPV vaccine. 

Keep Up with Your Orthodontic Care

If you’ve spent several of your teen years in braces or aligners creating a beautiful, healthy smile, you don’t want to see all your hard work go to waste. Retainers are designed to make sure your teeth stay just where they belong for a lifetime. 

When retainers aren’t worn as directed, especially when braces or aligners first come off, the teeth can shift back to their old positions. Sometimes going back to your regular retainer schedule can fix any minor movement, but sometimes patients need to go back for repeat orthodontic treatment.

How to avoid orthodontic do-overs?

• • If you have a retainer, wear it as scheduled to maintain your alignment and healthy bite. 
  • Put your retainer in a case when you’re not wearing it. A bent or broken retainer won’t keep your teeth aligned properly and can damage delicate oral tissues!
  • If your retainer is damaged, see the dental team at Pediatric Dental Associates in Anchorage, AK ASAP for repair or replacement.

 Practice Good Oral Hygiene

• Brush at least twice a day, for two minutes each time. 

Plaque begins to build up within hours after your last brushing. Removing plaque morning and evening also removes the cavity-causing bacteria which live in plaque. These bacteria erode enamel and lead to cavities.

• Floss at least once a day. 

Flossing helps remove plaque from your gumline. When plaque accumulates over time, it becomes tartar, a substance so hard that you’ll need a dental professional to remove it. The bacteria in plaque and tartar irritate your gums, and this irritation is the beginning of gum disease. Early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) can often be reversed with better brushing and flossing habits—but, even better, help stop gum disease before it starts with daily flossing.

• See your dentist regularly. 

If you’ve had the same dentist since childhood, you’ve probably developed a great partnership, typically visiting your dentist twice each year for an exam and a professional cleaning. 

Make sure you make space in your busy adult life to keep your smile its healthy, sparkling best by continuing to schedule regular cleanings and exams. This is the best way to clean away any plaque or tartar you may have missed, and, most important, to catch any small problems before they become bigger ones. 

Not so difficult, right? In fact, you’ve probably adopted most of these healthy habits already. Take charge of your dental health now, make good habits a part of your daily routine, and you’ll be prepared to enjoy a lifetime of healthy, attractive, adult smiles!