Enjoy Chocolate and Love Your Teeth This Valentine’s Day

By Martin Giniger, D.M.D., Ms.D., Ph.D., F.I.C.D.

Valentine’s Day is the time of year when people like to show affection by gifting sugary treats to their loved ones. Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of Valentine’s Day candy, you can celebrate the holiday in a healthier way by making dark chocolate your confection of choice. Moreover, white teeth and oral hygiene can make any Valentine's Day kiss even sweeter. 

While Cupid supplies the romance, various top dental experts offer some interesting facts to consider this Valentine’s Day:

            • If you think there’s no way candy could ever be beneficial for your teeth, think again. The Texas A&M Health Science Center has reported that the tannins present in cocoa beans may actually help prevent cavities by interfering with bacteria’s harmful interaction with teeth. However be aware that tannins are present more often in dark chocolates, rather than milk chocolates, giving you another great reason to choose the richer, sweet varieties.

            • You don't need to worry too much about Valentine's chocolates when it comes to your teeth. Unlike hard or gummy candies, chocolate doesn't cling to your teeth and your saliva is able to wash the sugar away. But you still have to consume chocolate in moderation. Constantly eating chocolate will harm your teeth over time.

            • Kissing couples can share up to 500 species of germs, including some that cause gum disease. You should brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes and floss once a day to eliminate bacteria that lurk between your teeth.

            • Kissing itself can actually help prevent tooth decay because it stimulates saliva, which helps reduce the incidence of cavities.

            • Teeth whitening may be one way to impress your favorite person and Power Swabs makes it very easy. With Power Swabs, there are no messy strips or trays and because the swabs require you to scrub your teeth you will see real results in just 5 minutes. Power Swabs even works on caps, crowns, veneers and dentures, so no matter what your dental condition is, and no matter how little time each day you have to devote to teeth whitening, Power Swabs will be the ideal choice for you.

Great smiles attract other great smiles. Pucker up, eat dark chocolate and use Power Swabs, and you will surely have the best Valentine’s Day ever!

It’s Not Too Late for New Year’s Resolutions. Start With Whiter Teeth.

by Martin Giniger, DMD, MsD, PhD, FICD

Now that the tree and wrapping paper are in the trash, and everyone is back to work, the water cooler chatter no longer revolves around New Year’s resolutions. But even though the holidays are over, it is quite normal for resolutions for self-improvement to still be on your mind. According to a University of Scranton study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions but only few follow through on them. However, research also shows that people who begin working on their resolutions in a small way and build up from there are the ones most likely to succeed.

Experts say being realistic and patient are essential. Focus on small victories, like committing to a seven-day regimen of whitening your teeth, and they’ll add up. Now that we’re in mid-January, it’s time for a progress check. These tips can help you make good on your promise to yourself and keep you from becoming another fallen resolutionist:

1. When you’re looking to change, do something for your smile first. Experts agree that people look at your smile and teeth before anything else and the whiteness of your teeth impact how people perceive you. Whitening your teeth will give you key advantages in the new year such as increased likelihood of being hired in a new job, and it will give people the impression that you are more wealthy, wise and healthy. Power Swabs® is probably the best teeth whitening product to achieve your goal, because it is the only product that shows real results after the very first use, and it works on all natural and artificial tooth surfaces without any sensitivity.
2. Resolved to shed 35 pounds in two months? Extreme fitness goals are a sure way to intimidate yourself — and give up on your resolution. Go slowly, find a gym where you feel at home, and stick with your health goals. For aspiring fitness junkies, classes can offer the essential motivation that will drive you beyond the January surge.
3. Digitally cleanse yourself. Science has spoken: reading books offers more cognitive benefits than settling in with a digital device. A study out of Norway’s Stavanger University says that without the tactile experience of the page, Kindle readers are not as adept as book readers at recalling facts from a novel. Comprehension also suffers with e-reading. Studies show that readers online resort to skimming and keyword spotting on the digital page instead of engaging in more focused reading. Then there’s the evidence on how digital distractions — from social media alerts to incoming messages to clickable embedded links — fracture our attention spans. The moral here? Visit ye olde local bookstore. You don’t have to swear off your digital devices. But picking up a book on paper might just be good for your brain. 
4. Cash is king. Having three months’ worth of living expenses stashed away is the top priority, and also put away some cash retirement savings — an expenditure that amounts to you paying yourself. But if there’s a big purchase, like a car in your future, monitoring every single source from which money is flowing in is the only way you can gauge how plausible it is to spend.

Always go back to the old saying about “impossible" really meaning "I'm possible." Recognize the fear of change for what it is. Perhaps you're even afraid of success. But somewhere, amidst the resolutions and goals for the coming year, you may also find new reasons to hope for, and work toward, a new start in your career. Remember to start with the easy things like whitening your teeth with Power Swabs and you will surely succeed!

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