1-Minute Smile Makeover Tricks
9 little changes that can transform your teeth into the pearly whites you've always wanted -- instantly
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Stop snacking
When you eat a large amount of food in one sitting, like during a typical meal, your mouth produces a lot of saliva, which helps to wash away the food particles that decay your teeth, says Dr. Pankaj P. Singh, founder and CEO of Arch Dental Associates in New York City. When you snack on smaller meals you don't produce as much saliva, which means your teeth aren't getting naturally cleaned as well, says the doctor.
In addition to that, most people snack on carbohydrate-rich foods. Chips, crackers, and other carb-laden foods are especially bad for our teeth, as "fermentable carbohydrates work with bacteria to begin the decay process and eventually destroy teeth," says Singh. "All carbohydrates eventually break down into simple sugars: glucose, fructose, maltose, and lactose," he says. "And when they do, they are converted by the bacteria in your mouth into plaque -- the primary trigger of gum disease and cavities." The snack food on Dr Singh's don't-eat list that shocked us most? Bananas. Their "chewy, adhesive texture" makes it easier for them to get caught between teeth or under the gum line, where bacteria can accumulate.
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too?
i knew the title was too good to be true!
by olkrav319 Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 04:03PM Report as inappropriate
so much life changing info here!
by kenya Friday, February 10, 2012 at 08:22PM Report as inappropriate
This makes me so sad because I love bananas :(
by sportimonki13 Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 07:29PM Report as inappropriate
Did not know about diet soda or swimming, but how about choosing a blue based red or pink lipstick????
by Thorne Friday, November 4, 2011 at 07:04PM Report as inappropriate
I knew all ,except swimmimg tips. thank You!!
by amgo.db Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 02:12PM Report as inappropriate
the article title is misleading - i don't see how any of these are "one-minute smile tricks"! and while these tips are eye-opening, i don't see the benefit of giving up "bad habits" like healthy snacks like bananas or a good workout like swimming! just go to the dentist regularly...
by jenstar313 Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 12:35PM Report as inappropriate
I have to agree with the Pill thing,but in the end,the point is to go to the dentist as frequently as possible
by selma Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 12:11AM Report as inappropriate
