| Let's Go Immunity! |
The kids are back in school and summer is going away with fall biting at its heels. All of the camping trips and lazy days at the lake are becoming a distant memory. Besides gorgeous autumn colors and long-sleeves, fall seems to bring cold and flu viruses to full force. Fear not, because there are plenty of ways we can boost our immune systems to keep these buggers from invading our systems.
- Get 6 cups of fruits and veggies a day: doing this gets you the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, A, and bioflavonoids to boost immunity and prevent cancer and heart disease. Triple win!
- Eat Garlic: not only will you keep vampires away (ha ha ha), this super food stimulates white blood cell production and boosts killer cells and antibodies.
- Zinc: dietary zinc is much more efficient than supplemental zinc. Zinc does the same thing as garlic, but too much Zinc (over 75mg) can actually inhibit your immune system from functioning properly. But eating oysters, beef, crab, or the dark meat of turkey will get you the recommended amount of Zinc (15-25mg).
- Omega-3s: besides being great with regulating cholesterol levels, these immune buddies help decrease the incidence and severity of respiratory infections. They also stimulate production of phagocytes (the white blood cells that eat the invading troops of viruses). So take a daily teaspoon of cod liver oil and mix a teaspoon of flax oil in some yogurt for the kiddos.
- Vitamin E: this is probably the only vitamin that needs a supplement in addition to food. Make sure you're getting 100-400mg of vitamin E daily depending on your lifestyle.
- SLEEP: You know we're all supposed to do it but none of us get nearly enough. Make time for those 8 hours people. We can't overwork our bodies and expect them to perform without giving them the downtime they need.
- It's the .01%: Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water and avoid antibacterial gels and wipes. Yeah, they kill 99.99% of germs. Not just bad germs, but good germs, too, and leaving .01% on our hands. That means they are leaving the stronger more resistant germs on our hands with no good germs to help in the fight! So please, use soap and water whenever possible.
There ya go! Stay happy and stay healthy :)
- Jocelyn RDH
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| Do you Have Gingivitis?
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Do you suffer from bleeding gums? If you do, it is important to speak to your dentist right away. You could be exhibiting early signs of gingivitis. It is important to realize normal dental hygiene should never cause bleeding gums. It doesn't matter if you have just started a new dental routine or you have changed toothbrushes. If you are experiencing bleeding on a regular basis it is time to speak with us. You could be suffering from gingivitis, which is the predecessor to periodontal disease.
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| Why Do I Grind My Teeth? |
You may be grinding or clenching your teeth and not even know it. Tooth grinding, or bruxism, is very common but it can lead to serious dental damage. Stress, some drugs, and misaligned teeth can also contribute to bruxism.
Tooth sensitivity, headaches, earaches, a sore jaw or even ringing in your ears can be clues. We can often tell if you are grinding your teeth so get regular checkups. We have several ways of helping you resolve this condition.
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