NATIONAL DENTAL HYGIENE MONTH
4 Important Routines to Maintain
Sugar haunts us all during the Halloween season. From bags of chocolate at the grocery store to “borrowing” a few pieces of candy from your kids, temptation is everywhere. However, a sweet little treat now and then is okay, as long as you stay on top of your oral health. October is National Dental Hygiene Month, which is the perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of dental health and the best ways to keep teeth healthy and clean.
gum disease but also to prevent other health problems, like poorly controlled diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks. For 2019, National Dental Hygiene Month is focusing on the four routines that improve oral hygiene: brushing, flossing, rinsing, and chewing. • BRUSHING AND FLOSSING: These two routines go hand in hand. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing teeth twice every day and flossing once every day. By creating these habits, you decrease the risk of losing teeth when you’re older and limit the chances of developing other health problems. • RINSING: A toothbrush can’t clean every part of the mouth, which is why rinsing is crucial. After brushing your teeth, a good rinse will help remove any bacteria and biofilm you missed. • CHEWING: Another way to improve dental hygiene is to chew sugarless gum after each meal. Gum increases the amount of saliva in the mouth, which helps break down food. The best way to observe National Dental Hygiene Month is to incorporate better oral health into your daily habits, no matter how scary it may seem at first. Start these four routines today so you can trick-or-treat without guilt later.
THE GOAL FOR 2019 The goal of National Dental Hygiene Month is to spread
awareness about oral health. Oral health is vital, not only to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and
TAKE A BREAK
CLASSIC
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Inspired by Food Network
Topping: • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/4 tsp salt • 6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces • 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Filling: • 5 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped • 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Directions 1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. In a mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients together. Transfer to individual serving ramekins. 3. In a different mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Mix in butter until it forms lumps roughly the size of a pea, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over filling. 4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve.
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