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These foods will help your teeth stay white

Wondering how you can maintain a bright smile while eating a healthy diet? There are a few foods you can eat that will help you whiten your teeth while also helping you maintain your overall oral health, and your whole-body health! Take a look at this list below from the team at Innova Family Dental, and change your diet for the better!


Broccoli, cauliflower, celery & other fibrous vegetables


If you really want to keep your teeth white and strong, these vegetables are a great option. Fibrous vegetables like celery, broccoli, and cauliflower act as natural “brushes” when you eat them.

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Due to their hard, fibrous nature, they tend to scrape away surface plaque and debris from your teeth. This can help prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, which may discolor your teeth, keeping them bright.


Strawberries


Strawberries are a delicious, all-natural alternative to sugary snacks like candy. They may be dark in color, but they are jam-packed with malic acid, which is a natural tooth brightening agent.


Strawberries are also less acidic than some other fruits like citrus, which means they’re better for your teeth. Of course, all fruits are fine for your teeth as long as you eat them in moderation and keep brushing your teeth regularly.


Apples


Apples are also quite fibrous and crunchy, so they act similarly to celery and fibrous vegetables. In the same way, the amount of chewing required when eating apples helps scrub your teeth.


The sugary nature of apples also helps stimulate saliva production a lot, which further helps rinse away food debris, and helps neutralize acids in your mouth.


Cheese & other dairy products


Snacking on cheese is a great way to help keep your teeth white, and to strengthen your teeth. Cheese, along with other dairy products, is high in calcium, which is an essential nutrient for strengthening your bones and your teeth. Like most of the other foods on this list, cheese also helps stimulate production of saliva, contributing to a healthier oral environment.


Baking soda


Baking soda isn’t exactly a “food,” but it is edible, and commonly used as a raising agent in breads and other products. We don't recommend eating it directly, though!

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If you want to whiten your teeth with baking soda, just mix equal parts of baking soda with water and brush your teeth. Another option is to buy a toothpaste that contains baking soda as its abrasive whitening agent.


Baking soda is a safe abrasive, because it’s not as hard as your teeth. However, it is harder than plaque, so when you brush with baking soda, you can remove surface stains from your teeth.


Need help with a brighter smile? Come to Innova Family Dental


The above foods may help prevent stain buildup and keep your teeth white, but they won’t help with older stains from coffee, tea, smoking, and other such stains. If you’re suffering from severe tooth stains in Bolingbrook, Innova Family Dental can help. Call us today to learn more about teeth whitening services from Dr. Kalpana Kandimalla, and get the help you need for a brighter, more confident smile.

See the steps we're taking to ensure your health & safety during covid-19

By Ryan Raybould • March 28, 2023
Innova Family Dental is now open and serving all patients with restorative and preventive dental care in Bolingbrook . You may be wondering if it’s safe to see the dentist during COVID-19, and we understand. So read on, and get all the information you need about how we’re protecting our patients and our staff during the “new normal,” at Innova Family Dental. Social distancing at our office Social distancing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious viruses. We have taken steps to reconfigure our office and keep patients at least six feet apart from each other, and we have removed items like pamphlets, magazines, and other commonly-touched objects to minimize the risk of spread. In addition, we are asking that you come alone to your appointment if possible, to keep the number of people in our office down. We are staggering patient appointments throughout the day to minimize patient-to-patient contact. In addition, patients must answer questionnaires about recent travel and potential exposure to COVID-19 before their appointments. Regular cleaning & disinfection of common areas We are now regularly cleaning all commonly-touched surfaces multiple times throughout the day. This includes surfaces such as doorknobs, counters, tables, chairs, bathrooms, and other such areas. Using an EPA-registered cleaning agent, our team ensures that all of these surfaces are safe and free of any potentially harmful pathogens. Hand hygiene & proper ppe use to minimize cross-contamination We have always followed all OSHA, CDC, and ADA requirements and recommendations for preventing cross-contamination between patients. This includes hand washing before and after treating patients, before putting on and removing gloves, and after touching any surface that may be contaminated. We are also wearing PPE such as gloves, masks, and eyewear when treating patients, as well as gowns and head coverings when necessary. All PPE is removed before leaving the work area. Disposable PPE is immediately disposed of in the area, and reusable PPE is left in place until it can be appropriately reprocessed. By leaving all used PPE in the area, the risk of cross-contamination is dramatically reduced. Operatory sanitation and equipment sterilization After seeing a patient, each dental operatory is completely cleaned and sanitized according to all required standards to remove any potentially infectious microbes from hard surfaces. All used dental tools are properly sealed, removed, and disinfected in an autoclave to ensure that they are completely safe and sanitary for use. We maintain complete and accurate sterilization records that meet all state and local requirements. Respiratory & cough etiquette All staff have been trained on proper respiratory and cough etiquette, such as sneezing or coughing into the elbow, disposing of tissues safely, and sanitizing hands after exposure to a cough or a sneeze. Come to innova family dental to get the dental care you need in bolingbrook! ‍ We take your safety very seriously at Innova Family Dental, and we’re taking every step we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus. So don’t wait. If you have any other questions about the steps we’re taking to protect you and your family or you want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kandimalla, feel free to call us today !

Ease dental anxiety with sedation dentistry - how sedation helps

By Ryan Raybould • March 28, 2023
At Innova Family Dental, Dr. Kalpana Kandimalla offers laughing gas sedation for all patients. If you suffer from dental anxiety or fear of the dentist, this is a great way to get the treatment you need without feeling scared or nervous during your appointment. There are a lot of different ways that sedation with laughing gas can help with dental anxiety and ensure you get the care you need for a healthy mouth in Bolingbrook, so let’s take a look at a few of them now. Laughing gas inhibits feelings of fear & anxiety First and foremost, laughing gas will help minimize feelings of fear and anxiety. When you breathe in the gas, you’ll immediately begin to feel more relaxed. You’ll feel sensations of euphoria, relaxation, and calmness that can help mitigate your feelings of fear and anxiety. Throughout your appointment, Dr. Kandimalla will continue to administer laughing gas to make sure you’re sedated and remain comfortable throughout your entire procedure, so you can enjoy more comfort at the dentist’s office. You'll remain fully alert and responsive Laughing gas is a “minimal” type of sedation. You will feel a bit more disconnected about what’s happening around you, and you won’t feel as much anxiety. But you’ll remain fully conscious, so you won’t have to worry about losing control and you can still ask questions and respond to Dr. Kandimalla during your appointment. Sedation dentistry helps prevent feelings of pain & discomfort Beyond simply inhibiting fear and anxiety, sedation options also function as an analgesic (pain reliever). If you are scared of a dental procedure because you have a very low pain threshold or tolerance for discomfort, sedation dentistry in Bolingbrook is a great option. With laughing gas as well as local numbing, you can ensure that you don’t feel any pain or discomfort at Innova Family Dental. This, in turn, leads to a smoother overall experience during your appointment with Dr. Kandimalla. Laughing gas can help with fear of needles Even if you’re not nervous about seeing the dentist, you may have a fear of needles, which might make it hard to get local numbing injections during your appointment at Innova Family Dental. Up to 20-30% of people are afraid of needles, so this is very common. But with laughing gas sedation, you can feel more comfortable while your mouth is being numbed, and overcome your fear of needles and injections. Laughing gas keeps you comfortable if you have a severe gag reflex If you have a really sensitive gag reflex, you may have trouble keeping your mouth open and staying comfortable if you’re getting a filling in a rear tooth, or having any other dental work done in the back of your mouth. Laughing gas is known to help impair the gag reflex, so this can improve your comfort during your consultation at Innova Family Dental. Contact innova family dental now to learn more about sedation Dr. Kandimalla has years of experience treating patients with dental anxiety. If you think that you could benefit from sedation at Innova Family Dental, just call us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kandimalla right away and get the help you need.
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