Our Blog

Millions of people, around San Mateo, CA and beyond, wear green on St. Patrick’s Day so they can show their spirit for the holiday and avoid getting pinched. While it may be easy for you to throw on a green shirt, sport a St. Patrick’s Day button, or wear a pair of emerald-hued shoes, if you’re an avid St. Patty’s Day enthusiast you may want to try something different this year. Dr. Pope, Dr. Pickering, and Dr. Lewis thought of a few ideas that will help you take your holiday spirit to the next level:

Visit Chicago’s Green River

If you happen to be near the Windy City during St. Patrick’s Day or you’re thinking of planning a trip, don’t miss out on going downtown to watch the large-scale celebration that kicks off when the city dyes the river bright green. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago has been celebrating the holiday with this tradition for more than 50 years, with tens of thousands of people gathering annually to witness the mysterious dying process and the stunning result.

Don Green Face Paint

Just like an avid sports fan on game day, you can use green face paints to showcase your enthusiasm for this holiday. Avoid breakouts or allergic reactions by only using paints that are specifically meant to be applied to the skin. A little bit of face paint can cover a large area, so feel free to get creative and decorate the whole family on St. Patrick’s Day.

Eat Green All Day

Not a fan of green eggs and ham? With the increasing popularity of green smoothies, there’s no better time to get in on this health craze. To create a green smoothie without the aid of food coloring, you can simply blend a generous amount of a leafy green vegetable, such as spinach or kale, with the ingredients that you would typically use to make a smoothie, like fruit, ice, milk, or juice. Keep the trend going throughout the day by using those same vegetables to create a green soup, egg salad, or a batch of bright green pastries. As an added bonus, you’ll get a healthy dose of vitamins without changing the taste of most of these foods.

If your old holiday routine has gotten stale, leave your green T-shirt in the drawer and try one or all of these tips. Don’t be surprised if you have so much fun that you decide to start a new, annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition! Have a happy St. Paddy’s day from Peninsula Periodontal Associates!

At Peninsula Periodontal Associates, we know the most common oral health diseases are tooth decay and periodontal disease (or gum disease), and both are among the easiest to prevent. One of the most common ways we recommend to boost your oral health is by improving your diet, because you (and your mouth) truly are what you eat. A healthy diet can lead to a healthy mouth and body, while an unhealthy diet can lead to the exact opposite.

The Role Nutrition Plays

While diet is not the only factor that leads to periodontal disease, studies suggest the disease may be more severe among patients whose diets lack essential nutrients. Poor diets will generally lead to a weaker immune system, leaving your body susceptible to all kinds of ailments, including periodontal disease.

A Well-Balanced Approach

There is no “magic” diet that we can recommend to improve your oral health, but the most important thing is to seek a well-balanced approach in your eating. While fad diets that emphasize one food group over another may help you lose weight in the short-term, they probably will not provide all the nutrients your body needs in the long run.

Meals should include a balance of lean meats or other healthy protein sources, colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats. Foods containing substantial amounts of sugar and salt should be consumed in moderation.

Soda and Sugar: A Dangerous Duo

Millions of gallons of soda are consumed every day in America, but sipping a cold soft drink can be very harmful to your teeth. Many of these beverages wear down the enamel that protects the teeth, which weakens and even destroys them over time. The American Beverage Association estimates that soft drinks account for almost 30 percent of all drink consumption in the U.S., averaging an annual total of about 50 gallons per person (up from only 20 gallons in the 1970s). For healthy teeth and a healthy body overall, try to limit your soda intake.

Sugar is another ubiquitous treat in our daily lives. When we eat sugar, naturally occurring bacteria in our mouths convert it to acids that attack tooth enamel. Consuming too much sugar can swiftly lead to tooth decay, cavities, and gum diseases like gingivitis. Most people do not even realize how much sugar they consume each day. It’s important to limit your daily sugar intake by reading the labels of all the food you eat, and sticking with natural food sources that are low in sugar, especially ones that minimize added sugar, such as fruits and vegetables.

If you have questions about your diet and how it may be affecting your oral health, talk to Dr. Pope, Dr. Pickering, and Dr. Lewis about it. See you soon!

You pay attention to what you eat. After all, your oral health depends on it. Without the necessary proteins, vitamins, and minerals in your diet, your teeth and gums will suffer. But did you know it’s a two-way street? Without healthy teeth and gums, your digestive system can suffer as well.

Because digestion doesn’t start in your stomach—it starts in your mouth! Let’s take a quick look at how the digestive system operates.

• Teeth

The first step in digesting is breaking down foods so our bodies can extract their nutrients more easily. Healthy teeth are essential here. Incisors and canines tear food into smaller pieces while molars grind these pieces into an easy-to-swallow, paste-like consistency. While we chew, the surface area of the food increases, allowing the digestive enzymes in saliva, the stomach, and the small intestine to work more efficiently.

• Salivary Glands

Saliva production increases when we eat. Digestive enzymes in saliva begin breaking down carbs into sugars, and separating fat molecules. Saliva also contains antimicrobial peptides which are important for oral and gut health. 

• Esophagus

This muscular tube connects the back of the throat to the stomach. As we swallow, muscles in the esophagus contract and relax, an involuntary movement called peristalsis. These contractions push food down into the stomach. Peristalsis also occurs in the stomach and intestines, efficiently moving food through the rest of the digestive system. 

• Stomach

Inside the stomach are gastric acids and enzymes which break food down further to help the small intestine make use of these nutrients in the next stage of digestion.

• Small Intestine

This organ works to reap the benefits of our healthy diets. The small intestine absorbs about 95% of the nutrients from our digested food—carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, and minerals—and transfers these nutrients to the circulatory system to be used throughout the body. Any remaining food particles travel to the colon, or large intestine.

• Large Intestine

Bacteria in the large intestine help process soluble fiber, which we can’t digest on our own. The large intestine is also where insoluble fiber and anything else undigested are converted to solid waste. 

Over time, untreated gum disease can cause teeth to become loose as the bones and tissues which hold them in place are destroyed by infection. This is why gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults.

And when tooth and gum problems make chewing difficult, the entire digestive system can be affected:

• Uneven bite pressure

When you can’t apply chewing pressure because of a painful infection, a missing tooth or teeth, or you’re worried about putting pressure on loose teeth, it’s hard to chew food into the paste-like consistency necessary for rest of your system to process it smoothly.

• Reduction in enzymes and peptides

Inadequate chewing causes less saliva production. Without sufficient saliva, your system won’t benefit from the digestive prep work and gut protection which saliva typically provides. 

• Uncomfortable swallowing

Insufficiently chewed food makes peristalsis in the throat and other digestive organs more difficult. Larger pieces of food can become stuck in the esophagus, causing painful swallowing or even choking. 

• Higher risk of stomach problems

When food isn’t chewed thoroughly, the stomach has to work harder, and the risk of gastroesophageal reflux increases. Highly acidic gastric juices can back up into the esophagus and mouth, causing heartburn, chest pain, sore throat, and vomiting. 

• Bowel irritation

When food particles are too large, the small intestine must work harder to break them down and to absorb their nutrients. Insufficiently digested food can upset the bacterial balance in the large intestine. These problems can cause indigestion, constipation, gas, and bloating.

• Changes in nutrition 

Dental problems can also lead to nutritional imbalances even before we start to digest. Soft foods and liquids are often chosen over proteins, fruits, and vegetables when loose or missing teeth or painful infections make chewing difficult. While a soft diet is fine for a few days if your mouth is a bit sore following dental treatment, it can be difficult to get the all the nutrients your body needs with a long-term soft diet.

If your quality of life has been impacted by gum disease, expert care is available from Dr. Pope, Dr. Pickering, and Dr. Lewis. Periodontists are uniquely qualified to treat gum disease, to provide regenerative treatments for lost bone and tissue, to perform bone grafting procedures, and to place dental implants. 

If you suspect you have gum disease, would like to see about rebuilding lost bone, or want to restore your healthy smile with a dental implant, the team at Peninsula Periodontal Associates in San Mateo, CA can help you discover solutions which can make eating and digesting your meals comfortable again. Your healthy smile—and your healthy body—will thank you!

Did you know the actions leading to the beginnings of Valentine's Day were actually centered on the avoidance of war? A Catholic priest named Valentine defied the orders of the Emperor Claudius II and secretly married young men and their brides after the emperor had declared it illegal because only single, young men could be sent to war. Rather than lose potential soldiers to fight his war, Claudius attempted to hoard them by proclaiming marriage illegal.

Valentine continued to marry young couples anyway and, eventually, was put to death for it in 270 AD. Before his death, he sent a letter to a secret love and signed it “From your Valentine”. Nearly 1,800 years later, people are still signing letters and cards in this manner. This year, carry on the tradition started long ago, while adding your own twist. Here are a few suggestions.

Simple and Creative Valentine's Day Ideas

• Memorialize it with a Photo. Couples often have photos taken around Christmas, but Valentine's Day photos allow you to capitalize on romance. Famous couple Julia Child and her husband, Paul, had their picture taken together every Valentine's Day and included their sense of humor with silly props.
• Return to Your First Date Location. Even if your first date together was at a local hotdog stand, its sentimental value can make it a fun part of your Valentine's Day agenda. Be creative and make a treasure hunt with clues that lead your partner to the original date location, where you can express your love with flowers or a gift.
• “From Your Valentine” Messages. Deliver your message in a creative way to make this Valentine's Day stand out from the others. Bake your partner's favorite treat and write a message on it with a tube of icing, or draw a note on the steamed up mirror so it shows up when your partner takes a shower.

Although Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, it doesn't have to be a special day only for couples. If you're single, use this special day to shower yourself with love, because you're worth it! After all, the priest Valentine believed so strongly in the sanctity of love that he was willing to risk his life for it. Whether you're in a relationship or single, young or old, romantic or not, Valentine's Day is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from the Periodontics office of Dr. Pope, Dr. Pickering, and Dr. Lewis.