Apples have long been associated with a healthy smile. It takes strong, healthy teeth to bite into a crunchy apple. That’s why you’ll be offered an apple when you visit your Howard Family Dental office.
You’ve heard the expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It may also be true that an apple a day keeps the dentist away. Children have a natural sweet tooth that draws them to sugary snacks and chewy candy that can stick to the teeth. Tooth decay results when cavity-causing organisms feed on this sugar and turn it into enamel-eroding acid. Apples are naturally sweet and offer a healthy alternative to processed, sugary snacks packed with nutrient-deficient calories.
Apples have other advantages over sugary snacks and even over many other fruits.
- Apples are portable and can be packed in a lunch box with no refrigeration needed.
- Apples can satisfy a sugar craving at ¼ the calories of candy or chocolate.
- Apples are packed with Vitamin C which is great for the immune system.
- Apples have flavonoids with antioxidant properties that guard against heart disease.
- Apples have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and may have cancer-fighting benefits.
- Apples come in many varieties of taste and color. If you don’t like a Granny Smith apple, have a Gala, a Honeycrisp, a Golden Delicious, or many others!
A healthy diet means healthier teeth. At your next visit to a Howard Family Dental office, you’ll leave with an apple and a healthier smile!
