Ditching Sugar in the New Year? Check Out These Tips!

Reducing or completely eliminating added sugar from your diet is a great New Year's Resolution! It can also be really challenging, especially if you currently have a lot of added sugar in your diet. Many people don't realize how many food items have added sugar until they try to eliminate it... Like high fructose corn syrup in crackers!! If you're determined to get healthier in 2022 and want to reduce sugar, Access Dental and Dentures has the tips to help you be successful. Keep reading to learn more! 

Drink Water

Sometimes the body can get confused and cross its signals. If you are craving something sweet, your body could actually just be dehydrated and in need of water. Drink a large glass of water when you experience unhealthy cravings or hunger outside of mealtime. This could help satiate your body enough to curb cravings so you can say “no” to the office candy dish.

Avoid Stress & Triggers

While avoiding stress is sometimes easier said than done, there are other ways to help your body cope other than eating sweets. A few things you can try to help cope with stress are… meditation, yoga, exercise, etc.

Avoid triggers or tempting situations like grocery shopping while hungry, or attending a party on an empty stomach. If you know you will be attending a party where you will be surrounded by a lot of sweets, eat a meal that is high in protein before leaving and make sure you are well hydrated. Chew on a piece of gum during the party to help prevent absent-minded snacking as well.

Eat More Protein

Protein is a necessary nutrient to our diets, and it also helps you feel full for longer. If you feel full throughout the day, you are less likely to feel like snacking on unhealthy treats and sweets. Protein can help diminish your cravings as well, because your body doesn’t feel like it is in need of more nutrients.

Eat Fruit

Fruit contains natural sugars that are significantly better for you than table sugar. Eating a handful of berries or an apple could help satisfy your sweet tooth while also providing good vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet.

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are typically not actually better for you than traditional sugar. While both are bad for your health, artificial sweeteners can cause the signals that control appetite in your brain to get mixed up or ignored. Some sweeteners that are considered “healthy”, like Stevia, actually taste ten times sweeter than the average sweetener. If your taste buds develop an appetite for this sweeter flavor, it is likely that you will crave more of it in higher quantities.

Best Dentist in Missouri

Get ready for a healthier year with these tips to help you reduce or eliminate sugar! Reducing sugar in your daily life can make a big difference in your overall health and your dental health. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri, and we are here to help you stay healthy and happy in the new year and for years to come. Give us a call to set up an appointment! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Teeth & Smoking - What's Happening Inside Your Mouth?

Thinking about quitting smoking in the New Year? That's a great idea! As the best dentist office in southern Missouri, Access Dental and Dentures knows just how damaging smoking can be to not only your overall health, but also the health of your teeth. Today we're covering the incredible benefits of quitting smoking for your dental health. Keep reading to learn all about it!

Isn't the Damage Already Done? 

While your teeth and gums may have already experienced a lot of damage from years of smoking, it's never too late to quit! In fact, many habitual smokers that quit then have the same lower risk of gum disease as a non-smoker. Your gum and tooth health will also improve greatly if you even reduce the amount you smoke. Again, it's never too late to quite and enjoy a healthier lifestyle, and - as a result - as healthier mouth!

Why Does Smoking Do So Much Harm?

When you smoke, your body's immune system is weakened and has a hard time fighting off infection. That means that all the bacteria in your mouth has a better chance of causing problems for your teeth and gums. Plaque and tartar in between your teeth can grow more quickly, causing inflammation and infection. In fact, a smoker's chance of getting gum disease is twice as much as a non-smoker. 

What Problems Can Smoking Cause? 

Smoking can lead to serious dental problems. Some are just annoying and inconvenient like bad breath and tooth discoloration. But it can also cause very serious issues including inflammation of the salivary glands, increased buildup of plaque and tartar, lose of bone in the jaw, risk of leukoplakia, risk of gum disease, tooth loss, delayed healing, and increased risk of developing oral cancer. 

Are Any Tobacco Products Better for Me? 

In short, no! Cigarettes, pipes, and chewing tobacco are all detrimental to your dental health and increase your risk of gum disease and all the other dental health issues we've talked about. 

What are the Warning Signs of Gum Disease? 

If you're wondering what the signs and symptoms are of gum disease, check out this list: 

• Sensitive teeth
• Gums are red or swollen
• Gums are tender or bleeding
• Pain with chewing
• Loose teeth
• Gums pulling away from the teeth

How Is Gum Disease Treated?

Gum disease is very detrimental to your overall health, so it's important to seek treatment if you think you have an issue. The best way to treat early gum disease is with regular tooth brushing, flossing, and visits to the dentist's office. If you do end up with severe gum disease, there are still ways to treat it. Your dentist may have to clean below the gum line, perform surgery to remove tartar and heal bone or gum loss, or prescribe a prescription mouth rinse. Keep in mind, though, it may be harder for your gums to heal if you are a smoker. 

Dental Health in Missouri

If you are looking for help addressing your dental health issues, Access Dental and Dentures is here for you! Our expert team of dentists and dental hygienists can help find out what is going on and how to fix it. You deserve a healthy, confident smile, and we can help you!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Caution: Not All Diets are Equal!

With the New Year coming up, you might be thinking about starting a new diet. Before you choose, it's important to know how some of the popular diets can affect your dental health. As the best dentist in southern Missouri, Access Dental and Dentures cares about your teeth and your overall health. Keep reading to learn how these diets might affect your teeth before you get started next year.

Liquid Cleanses

Some people like to start the new year off with a power punch to their health journey. Liquid and juice diets can be very effective for rapid weight loss, but their merits are often debated in the medical community. It can be difficult to get the nutrients you need from fluids alone, and the loss of fiber and roughage in your diet could cause stomach issues.

A liquid diet could also be harmful to your dental health. Crunchy health foods like carrots and apples can help reduce the buildup of plaque by literally pushing it off your teeth. Liquid diets can also be acidic and high in sugar because juices and smoothies tend to be what people on this diet grab first.

Low Carb Diets

One of the most popular diets in recent years has been the Low-Carb Diet. You may have heard of "Keto", which at its core is a low or no-carb diet. The idea of these diets is to optimize your body to burn fat by reducing or eliminating carbs. This diet could also reduce your folic acid and fiber intake, though, if you are not careful to replace grains with a high volume of leafy greens and beans.

These diets can be detrimental to your oral health because of the elimination of fruits. Fruits are considered carbs on these diets because of their natural sugar content, so they are either not allowed or limited on almost all Low-Carb Diets. But fruits can be helpful to your oral health! Particularly fruits like apples, pears, and watermelon. These fruits have higher water content and cause you to salivate more when eating them. Saliva production is incredibly important to keep your mouth hydrated and free of bacteria. If your choice is between a piece of low-carb pie and an apple, the higher-carb apple may be a healthier choice for your teeth.

Dairy-Free Diets

A few good examples of popular dairy-free diets are Paleo and Whole30. The Paleo diet encourages participants to eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats, and oils. People on this diet are also supposed to avoid processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine, and trans fats. Whole 30 abides by five major rules: No added sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no legumes, and no dairy. Most of these items can be good to avoid, but not always.

Dairy is often considered beneficial for bones and teeth due to its calcium content. Until recently, all dairy was thought to have the same effect on teeth. The Academy of General Dentistry published a study that indicates cheese could actually have anti-cavity properties. It does this by reducing the level of acidity in your mouth and increasing saliva production! Check out the research in Science Daily here: (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130605130118.htm).

Ask Your Dentist

Always remember, you should consult with your doctor before making a drastic change in your daily diet. As the best dentist in the Springfield area, Access Dental and Dentures is here to help your dental health be as good as possible. Whether you are looking to start a new diet or just want to boost your oral health in 2021, we are here for you. Give us a call to set up an appointment and learn more about how to lead a healthier life. We are here for you!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Give Happy Smiles for Christmas This Year!

Struggling to find the perfect Christmas present or stocking stuffer this year? Access Dental and Dentures has some great ideas for unique gifts that your recipients will love. Some of these gifts help make people's dental hygiene routine better, and even cleaner. Others are just fun! Keep reading to find the perfect inspiration for your Christmas list this year. 

Re-Usable Straws

While this may not seem related to dental care at first glance, using a straw when drinking certain beverages can help protect your teeth from exposure to damaging chemicals. Sugary, acidic, or staining drinks won't be in contact with your teeth as much if you use a straw. As an added bonus, re-usable straws are helpful to the environment by eliminating waste from disposable straws!

Toothbrush Sanitizer

To help keep your gift recipient's toothbrush clean and free from bacteria, you could buy them a toothbrush sanitizer. These handy tools use ultra-violet light to kill bacteria that could otherwise grow in the bristles of the toothbrush. You can find these devices in large models you keep in your home bathroom or in small portable models that are battery-powered.

Electric Toothbrush

An electric toothbrush could be the perfect gift this season! Electric brushes help take some of the work out of brushing your teeth. While it's not a labor-intensive activity, the automatic brushing from the electric toothbrush helps keep your teeth clean by ensuring your teeth are getting enough cleaning action. Some electric toothbrushes even have timers letting you know when to switch sides.

A great, affordable electric toothbrush on the market right now is Quip. Quip is not just an electric toothbrush, it is also a subscription service that can help keep your teeth cleaner than a standard disposable brush. The service starts with a Quip brush and brush holder and sends replacement heads in the mail so you never have to think about when to buy a new toothbrush. What a great idea!

Dog Flossing Toys

If your Secret Santa is a pet owner, a dog flossing toy could be a great gift! Dogs need dental care to stay healthy, just like we do. If plaque and tartar build up too much on their teeth, it can cause gum disease and possibly a life-threatening, system-wide infection. Realizing this problem, several inventors came up with creative toys to help keep dogs' teeth clean.

These toys are designed with rubber bristles that gently clean dogs' teeth while they simply enjoy playing with the toy. Some of them even have places to add dog-safe toothpaste with flavoring that will make your gift recipient's dog love it even more!

Best Dentist in Missouri

Access Dental and Dentures loves our patients and helping keep you healthy and happy. Try some of our favorite dental-inspired gift ideas this year, and let your loved ones know that Access Dental is a great place to take care of your oral health. With a confident, healthy smile, it truly can be the happiest season of all!  

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Get a Brighter, Whiter Smile Safely with Professional Whitening! ✨

Reveal your true smile with professional teeth whitening! No one loves yellow, dull teeth. Get the confident bright smile you deserve with help from Access Dental and Dentures. While there are technically over the counter options to help whiten your teeth, these are often dangerous. They can permanently damage your enamel, not reach every spot on your teeth, and cause several other issues. Keep reading to find out the incredible benefits of professional teeth whitening services! 

Professional Strength

Our whitening agent is a professional grade so that you can achieve fast results. It can help you gain and maintain the shade of white you want. Over-the-counter products can cause damage to your teeth due to the cheaply made ingredients. Or, they can have a hard time getting your teeth white enough because the whitening agent is too weak. Easily whiten your teeth and save time with a professional whitening.

Complete Coverage

Our whitening treatments create a brighter white on every part of your teeth. The complete coverage of our whitening trays offers the ideal shade of lightener for your entire smile. With drug store brands, you can usually only get your front teeth, which can look strange any time your other teeth are visible. Smile big and laugh freely with a professional whitening from Access Dental!

You Control the Shade

Access Dental has at-home treatment options so that you can perform the whitening session as often as you'd like until you achieve the results you are looking for. Our dentists will advise you on the proper use and frequency of the treatment. This allows you to safely whiten to the shade you're looking for. Drugstore brands could bleach your teeth too white in just one sitting, causing damage to your enamel that results in pain and sensitivity.

Custom Whitening Tray

This is probably the best perk of getting your teeth professionally whitened! Drug store whiteners have to be painted on or stuck on as a slippery strip of plastic that never seems to stay put. At Access Dental and Dentures, we fit the whitening tray to your teeth specifically. You can come into our office and get a custom impression made of your teeth and we'll design a whitening tray to perfectly fit your unique smile! This can help ensure all of your teeth are getting the proper coverage of the whitening agent when you do whitening sessions.

Convenience!

Access Dental and Dentures has several locations throughout Southern Missouri where you can create your own unique whitening tray impressions. Once you have your personal tray, you can perform the whitening treatments in the convenience of your own home! It's the ultimate way to conveniently get your teeth whitened with a professional treatment.

Best Teeth Whitening Services

Teeth whitening is something that a lot of people want in order to feel more confident in their smile, but a lot of people make the risky choice of trying to do it with drug store strips, paste, trays, etc. Work with Access Dental and Dentures to get the smile of your dreams and to promote your dental health while whitening your teeth. Give us a call to schedule an appointment! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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