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It's almost game day and you're wondering what to put on the menu for your guests. Most snacks are typically highly processed and unhealthy. Why not mix it up this year and opt for some snacks that promote good oral health? Here are some of Dr. Gregory Weaver favorites!

• Apples, carrots, celery, and cucumbers: These foods and other crispy, fibrous, fruits and vegetables are an excellent choice for the big game. Not only are they rich in vitamins and minerals which your body and mouth need, they are also known as detergent foods because of the cleaning effect they have on the teeth and gums. Try apples wedges spread with peanut butter and sprinkled with cinnamon.
• Beans: Beans are filling because they are packed with fiber and that keeps you from opting for sugary or fatty snacks. Along with fruits and vegetables, beans should be one of the stars of your game-day snack lineup. How about some hearty chickpea hummus with cucumber chips?
• Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews: Nuts abound in the minerals that help keep your teeth and gums strong like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Put out a bowl of raw or roasted nuts for your guests as a crunchy, satisfying alternative to chips or crackers. Recent research even shows that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in nuts may help prevent gum disease. But remember not to eat the whole bowl! Nuts are very high in calories and a little goes a long way. Enjoy and handful or two along with your other healthy snacks.
• Dark chocolate: This one may be hard to believe at first, but research shows chocolate can be great for your teeth and help prevent decay! Now don't run off and start stocking your pantry with a bunch of that super sweet stuff, because these benefits come mainly from the tannins, polyphenols, and flavonoids present in the cacao bean. Dark chocolate is the least processed variety of chocolate and the closest to the cacao bean, so make sure you purchase a variety that is listed as 70% cocoa or more for these benefits. Like with nuts, chocolate is easy to overdo — aim to eat two or three squares.

We probably all remember sitting through history lessons during our schooling years. Revolutionary war heroes, English royals, and pop-culture icons filled the pages of our textbooks. Although you may recall a detail or two about their historical significance, how much do you know about their teeth?

Picture England in the mid 1500s. People wore frilly clothes as they hustled along the street, and talked about the latest import from the Indies: sugar. Wealthy Brits did not hesitate to indulge their sweet tooth, and it was no different for the monarch, Queen Elizabeth I.

The queen was especially fond of sweets, but not so fond of the dentist. Her teeth rotted; they turned black and gave off a foul odor. Eventually, Elizabeth lost so many teeth that people found it difficult to understand her when she spoke.

Flash forward to the Revolutionary-era colonies in the 1770s and we encounter the famous dentures of George Washington. They were not made of wood, but rather a combination of ivory and human teeth, some of which were his own pulled teeth and some he purchased from slaves.

Washington did not practice proper dental hygiene throughout his life. He began to suffer dental problems as early as age 24, when he had his first tooth pulled. By the time he was inaugurated in as the first president in 1789, he had only one tooth remaining in his mouth, which was pulled in 1796.

Washington’s dentures were made too wide and never quite fit his mouth properly. He complained that they were painful to wear and caused his jaw to protrude visibly outward.

If you’ve heard of Doc Holliday, you know him as the gun-toting, mustached criminal that ran the Wild West in the late 1800s. You might be surprised to learn that John Henry “Doc” Holliday actually had a career as a dentist.

He graduated from dental school in 1872 and began to practice in Griffin, Georgia. Holliday was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and his violent coughing fits during exams drove patients away. Jobless, he packed his bags for Texas and spent the rest of his days running from town to town as a criminal.

The Beatles brought pop music and British culture to their fans, as well as … teeth? In the mid-1960s, John Lennon had a molar removed that he presented as a gift to his housekeeper, Dorothy. Dorothy’s daughter was a huge fan of the Beatles and he thought she might like to a keepsake. Her family held onto the tooth until 2011, when they auctioned it off to a Canadian dentist for $31,000.

These historical figures had very different experiences with their teeth, but it’s safe to say a bit of extra brushing and flossing could’ve saved them a lot of trouble. Whether you’re queen, president, or an average citizen, it’s up to you to practice good dental hygiene!

Ask a member of our team at our Raleigh, NC office if you have any questions about how to keep your teeth in top shape!

One of the most appealing reasons to choose dental implants over options such as bridges, partial dentures, and complete dentures is the fact that they function like natural teeth. 

Unlike bridges and dentures, which sit above the gumline, implants are embedded in the jawbone, designed to look like and to work like a natural tooth:

• A cylinder or screw, usually made of bio-compatible titanium, is surgically implanted into the jawbone. After several months, the implant fuses with the bone, a process called “osseointegration.” 
• An abutment is secured inside the implanted piece. This abutment extends above the gumline and serves to connect the implant to a crown. 
• A dental implant crown customized to match surrounding teeth in shape and appearance is securely attached to the abutment.

The result is a tooth that looks and functions just like a natural tooth, with a secure implant acting as a root below the gumline attached to a realistic-looking crown above it. What does this unique design mean for you?

• Implants Are Secure

Because implants are rooted in your jaw, there is no need to worry about loose dental work or difficulties with pronunciation or eating. Dentures stay in place using a mild adhesive or suction, which attaches them to the gum ridge. Bridges are anchored to teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth. Implants, on the other hand, are anchored in the jawbone. The post of the implant fuses with the bone in your jaw, functioning just like the root of a natural tooth. 

Implants often are used to replace a single tooth, but if you have lost several teeth, you also have options. Implants are an effective way to hold bridges and dentures in place securely. Several posts are implanted in strategic locations. Once the posts have fused with the jawbone, the bridge or denture is secured to the posts. These appliances can be fixed in place or removable for easy cleaning. 

• Implants Maintain Bone Health

When you choose an implant, you are choosing an option which protects your natural bone health and facial appearance. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone beneath it can shrink over time. This process is called “resorption.” Bone loss can alter facial appearance, especially around the lips, cheeks, and profile. 

Why do we lose bone? The bone in our jaws stays healthy because the stimulation of chewing and biting encourages new bone cell production around the root. Without that stimulation, the jawbone doesn’t replace old bone cells as effectively, and gradually shrinks, even with a bridge or denture. Implants, on the other hand, provide the same stimulation to the bone that natural teeth and roots do, and bone cells regenerate just like they do with natural teeth.

• Implants Don’t Affect Surrounding Teeth

When you choose a fixed bridge to replace a missing tooth or teeth, the neighboring teeth must be shaped to hold the bridge attachment. This is done by removing some healthy tooth structure from each neighboring tooth. Retainer crowns are then placed on these teeth to hold the pontic, or replacement teeth, in position. 

Implants don’t require crowns or other anchoring mechanisms on surrounding teeth. What’s more, implants benefit the teeth around them by helping to preserve the shape and strength of the jawbone holding them in place. 

• Implants Last

Dentures and bridges can be a more cost-effective option initially, but they will need to be replaced every 5-10 years. Implants are the longest lasting tooth replacement. Many implants will last a lifetime. 

How to make sure your implant is successful? Look after your dental hygiene to prevent gum disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults. If you grind your teeth, talk to Dr. Gregory Weaver about a nightguard. Wear a mouthguard when you play sports. Avoid biting into hard foods like ice and hard candies. Don’t smoke. In other words, protect your implants just like you protect your organic teeth.

• Implants Look Natural

For many of us, the realistic appearance of dental implants is the deciding factor. 

Dental implants are designed to look just like your natural teeth. The crown which sits atop the implant post is carefully fabricated to match the size, shape, and color of your surrounding teeth. You can eat, speak, and smile confidently once again.

If you’re considering tooth replacement, talk to the team at Weaver Dentistry in Raleigh, NC about which options are best for you. You might discover that a dental implant is the natural choice!

Your feedback is very important to us at Weaver Dentistry. We always want to make sure that our practice is meeting its full potential, so whether you’ve visited Dr. Gregory Weaver once or been a loyal patient throughout the years, we encourage you to share your thoughts about your experience with us!

You can do this easily by giving us a review on our Facebook page or writing down your comments below. If you feel more comfortable, you’re always welcome to give our Raleigh, NC office a call, too! We feel fortunate to have you all as patients and look forward to reading all your feedback!