Remember Your Teeth When Incorporating Smoothies into Your Diet

Tariq Drabu, a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon, has advised that more people are choosing smoothies for breakfast or snacks than ever before. The problem is that people are under the misguided belief that smoothies are good for you, because you are mixing healthy ingredients together.

Tariq Drabu advised that smoothies can be good for you, if you choose the right ingredients and this includes taking your oral health into consideration when deciding what to throw into the smoothie you will drink for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Sugars

One the biggest issues you may encounter when making a smoothie is knowing what has sugars and what doesn't. You may not know this but even fruit has sugars, which can be dangerous to teeth increasing the risk of tooth decay.

Don't add any sugars, rather work with the natural sugars in the smoothie, keeping them to am minimum.

Vegetables

The great thing about a smoothie, is you decide what you want to add. Tariq Drabu does recommend when adding vegetables you try and stick to your greens, which are rich in vitamins and minerals, while remaining low in sugars. Your greens include collards and kale.

Fruits

Now you may think making a smoothie, what could be healthier than fruit. The truth is that fruits are brimming in natural sugars, so you should use them sparingly. Stay away from acidic fruits, such as your citrus fruits. If you want to add fruit, consider an apple or some berries. Always choose the ripest of fruits, as these are lower in acidity, which can eat away at the tooth enamel and cause decay in the long run.

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass has been classed as a superfood. This product increases energy levels and is brimming with healthy vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform at optimum at all times.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has also been classed as a superfood. Coconut oil provides an extensive list of benefits, according to Tariq Drabu. It is also effective when it comes to oral health, it has anti-bacterial properties to fight bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties to help with gum disease.

Cranberry Juice

Find some unsweetened cranberry juice to add to your smoothie. Cranberry juice is overflowing with health properties and is considered good for your teeth.

The final tip from Tariq Drabu when drinking smoothies is always to drink them through a straw, so that you are sucking the liquid away from your teeth.

Tips to Making Your Own Home-Made Natural Toothpaste

Tariq Drabu, a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon in the United Kingdom, advises that it is more common these days for families to make their own home-made natural toothpaste, so they can choose natural, safe and organic ingredients to reduce the risk of putting dangerous chemicals in their bodies.

While home-made natural toothpaste can prove effective in cleaning the teeth, it does not protect the enamel. Fluoride is what is needed to protect the hard outer enamel of the tooth to reduce the risk of tooth decay.

You can make your own natural toothpaste at home using three simple ingredients; coconut oil, essential oils and baking soda.

The ingredients

Coconut oil has become a leading natural and safe ingredient used in a host of different applications. Coconut oil is brimming with health benefits. It is a natural anti-bacterial and antii-inflammatory which could be useful to fight gum disease.

Baking soda helps to neutralise the bacteria in the mouth, which is also highly effective to fight gum disease now and in the future. Further baking soda has proven to be a great tooth whitening solution, helping to reduce stains on the teeth and keep them sparkling and clean.

Essential oils are great to fight bacteria. The essential oils have anti-bacterial properties, but are also very effective in fighting bad breath. If you already have gingivitis, then you may find that using this home made toothpaste will help you reduce the symptoms and fight the disease.

The process

Melt the oil into liquid state. If you haven't used coconut oil before, then you may not know that the oil changes based on temperature. When it cools it becomes hard, but once warmed it turns into an easy to use liquid. Fill half a container with the melted coconut oil.

The next step is to fill the remaining half of the container with baking soda. The baking soda will mix into the oil, when you start the mixing process.

You will want to put in two to three drops of tea tree essential oils and two to three drops of thieves essential oils. With everything in the container, seal the lid and shake the contents well.

It is advisable to keep the toothpaste at room temperature, so it is easy to use when it's time to brush your teeth.

Tariq Drabu on the Dangers of Sugars in Children’s Oral Health

Tariq Drabu is a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon based in Manchester in the United Kingdom. This top dental professional was born and educated in Manchester and is passionate about oral health in the United Kingdom.

According to Tariq Drabu, thousands of children find themselves in hospital each and every year to have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic. This is a serious concern, as tooth decay is preventable and sugars are one of the leading causes why these children are suffering and being subjected to hospitalisation across the country.

Change cups

One of the causes of tooth decay in children in the United Kingdom is that they drink from a bottle for too long. A bottle should only be used to the point where the child can hold their own cup. Drinking from a bottle allows the liquid to sit on the teeth, while drinking from a sippy cup or through a straw can push the liquid to the back of the throat away from the teeth.

Tariq Drabu encourages parents to change to a cup as soon as they can to help reduce the risk of tooth decay moving forward.

Organic foods

Another recommendation from the leading dentist, Tariq Drabu, is to make your own baby food rather than buying it in. Making your own, you know exactly what you put into each meal, this can help you reduce the amount of sugar you are subjecting your child to.

Parents who make their children’s meals, know what ingredients they have used. They are also able to choose organic fruits and vegetables, which have been grown naturally without any dangerous chemicals, which can be highly beneficial to the child oral health in the long run.

Tariq Drabu does warn about sugars in foods and drinks and recommends that parents get into the habit of reading food labels, identifying sugar levels and then making the best decision to protect their child’s teeth.

Water, water and more water

Parents often will give their children fruit juice to drink. They are under the impression that fruit juice is healthier than their children drinking fizzy drinks. While this is true, what they don't realise is that fruit juices also have a very high sugar content, which can result in the children suffering when it comes to oral health.

The best drink to give any child or adult is water. Water is more than adequate to quench the child’s thirst and not being filled with sugars, parents can enjoy complete peace of mind that they are doing what they can to help their children’s teeth and gums on a daily basis.

Are Dental Implants the Right Choice for You?

Dental implants are often chosen by patients who don't want to rely on full or partial dentures after having teeth removed. Tariq Drabu, a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon, advised that many patients who have to have one or more front teeth extracted will turn to dental implants to improve their smile, boost their confidence and help them feel better about their appearance moving forward.

If you are torn between partial or full dentures and dental implants, then there are some factors you need to know to help you decide if this is the right choice for you.

Natural

The first reason you may want to choose dental implants, according to Tariq Drabu, is that they look and feel completely natural. Unlike dentures, these false teeth are not removed at night and therefore they feel natural in the mouth, which can significantly boost confidence in patients who have had teeth removed and looking for an effective solution to improve their smile in the future.

Improve speech

Whether you have just had your teeth extracted or you have been given dentures to wear, you will find that you tend to have a slurred speech as a result. By choosing dental implants, combined with their natural feel, you will notice your speech will improve considerably, so you don't have to feel self-confident at all times.

Eating is easier

With dentures and with teeth missing, eating can be quite a daunting experience. Without teeth you are very restricted to what you can and cannot eat, while with dentures, eating can take a while to get used to. With most people who have just received their dentures, eating soft foods and adding new foods to their diet is the only way to get used to eating with them. With dental implants, you can start eating all foods with ease and confidence without delay.

Durable and convenient

Tariq Drabu advised that dental implants are very strong and durable. They comprise of a titanium screw which is screwed into the jaw bone, over time the bone fuses with the screw to hold it firmly in place. This is topped with a cap which looks the same as your natural teeth. The team even match the colour so you know that the tooth will look like one of your own.