Summertime in Maine is the best! It’s full of beach days, popsicles, and backyard barbecues. While you grill up your hot dogs this summer, why not include some food that gives your barbecue an oral health boost? What you eat has an impact on your oral health as well as your overall health. There are foods that support healthy teeth and gums that are easy to include in your next summertime meal. To help inspire you, here are four tips from the FDA team to turn your summer gatherings into tooth-friendly affairs.
Add a Veggie Platter
While you’re waiting for the grill to heat up, put out a platter of fresh veggies for snacking. Crunchy veggies like celery, carrots, and cucumbers are great for your teeth; they stimulate saliva and help keep your teeth clean. Add a calcium-rich yogurt dip to your platter and you’ve leveled up your tooth-friendly snack. The probiotics in yogurt can help balance the pH level in your mouth and keep cavity-causing bacteria in check. Talk about a win-win!
Say Cheese!
Cheese is full of calcium and phosphorus, which helps strengthen and protect your teeth. Studies also show that including more dairy in your diet can help protect your gums. So, make that a cheeseburger, please!
Skip the BBQ Sauce
Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on BBQ sauce? It is full of sugar! Limit the unnecessary sweet sauce and load up on flavorful condiments like pickles and fresh tomatoes instead. Or find a sugar-free recipe and impress your guests with a home-made sauce!
Don’t Forget Water
Hot days call for cold beverages, but drinking soda is not great for your teeth or your health. All that sugar can cause cavities. Staying hydrated is important and drinking water is an easy way to boost your oral health at every meal. Like saliva, water will rinse away harmful bacteria and food particles. If you want to serve something more exciting than plain water, try adding cucumbers, strawberries, or mint to your water pitcher. Refreshing and flavorful!
We hope you are enjoying all that this Maine summer has to offer. If you have any healthy tips for summer BBQS or need to schedule your next appointment, please be in touch! We look forward to seeing you soon!
