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It seems like chocolate is in the news almost weekly these days. New studies are revealing all kinds of health benefits, while detractors say the sugar content is bad for both your waistline and your teeth. 

Like most foods, careful selection and moderation is the key to guilt free enjoyment. Here’s a breakdown of the latest news in chocolate and how you can enjoy this sweet snack for your health’s sake. 

• According to a recent Australian study, the antioxidants found in chocolate can help reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals when they exercise.

• A study conducted by the University of San Diego showed that chocolate can help ease emotional distress and aids in stress management.

• Speaking of stress management, one study found that having a little dark chocolate in the afternoon can help boost your mood and alertness at work, while also reducing your work related stress. 

• Swedish researchers found that women who enjoyed one to two servings of dark chocolate a week reduced their risk of heart failure by over 33 percent compared to those who avoided chocolate. 

• Dark chocolates can help to curb cravings for sweet and salty foods, because it makes you feel more satisfied compared to its less healthy counterpart, milk chocolate.  

Again, the key to these benefits is moderation, but don’t be afraid to indulge a little from time to time. Just remember to brush, (or a least drink plenty of water and chew some gum after eating chocolate) and enjoy your healthy snack!

Getting kids to brush their teeth can be as much of a chore for parents as it is for the kids. An easy way to encourage children to brush is to offer healthy and fun incentives. An easy way to do this is to create an oral health chart. 

For every time your child brushes their teeth without having to be reminded, they get a sticker on their chart. Let them choose the sticker and place it on the chart. It creates a feeling of ownership within your child and encourages responsibility. When your child has acquired enough stickers, award them with a prize or a special activity. Here are some examples of prizes that will get your kids excited to start brushing on their own.

• Use healthy, special snacks as rewards. These can be as simple as sugar free fruit snacks to a trip to the frozen yogurt stand. The key is to make it something that your child would only get if they brushed their teeth.

• Take them on a trip to the dollar store and let them pick out a toy. If you are afraid of creating a potential temper tantrum episode, have a special toy basket that they can choose a toy from.

• Go on a trip to a fun location, like the park or the zoo. If you are able to have a location that is reserved to visit only on occasions when the healthy tooth chart has been completed will start your child associating healthy teeth with fun.

Whatever method you choose, make sure to stay persistent in your efforts to get your kids to brush. Good oral health reflects good overall health, and learning how to keep teeth clean is an important lesson to learn for both kids and parents alike.

Spring is in the air and summer is right around the corner. The fight for that perfect swim suit body has begun, and for some of us the battle is over before it even begins. After all, when that sweet tooth craving calls, who can resist? According to Examiner.com the average American consumes 24.3 pounds of candy per year, and that amount can soar even higher if you happen to be a self-proclaimed chocoholic. In order to help you win the battle of the bulge and slim down for summer here are some tips for silencing that sweet tooth. 

• Give in a little. Eat a bit of what you’re craving, maybe a small cookie or a fun-size candy bar. Enjoying a little of what you love can help you steer clear of feeling denied. Establishing a 150 calorie threshold will help you have your cake and eat it too.

• Combine foods. If the idea of stopping at a cookie or a baby candy bar seems impossible, you can still fill yourself up and satisfy a sugar craving, too. Combine sugary foods with other healthy options, like mixing almonds with chocolate chips. As a beneficial bonus, you'll satisfy a craving and get healthy nutrients from those good-for-you foods.

• Reach for fruit. Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You'll get fiber and nutrients along with some sweetness. And stock up on foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Keeping these handy will get you in the habit of reaching for that healthy, sweet option. Just remember that everything is good in moderation.

• Choose quality over quantity. If you need to splurge, choose something wonderfully decadent and small instead of a cheap king sized candy bar. Choosing the high quality option will make it seem like you are spoiling yourself without ruining your meal. Learn to incorporate small amounts or sweets into your daily routine, but concentrate on filling your stomach with less sugary options. 

Learn more about the services we offer and maybe we can help improve your smile!

If you have ever worked in the customer service industry you have probably heard the advice to smile when you talk on the phone in order to improve the quality of the conversation. But does this little trick actually work?

The answer is yes, it really does. When you smile, you actually are sending messages to your brain that you are in a good mood. Even if this is not actually true, your brain will accept it as fact and your manner will change, including your tone of voice. You automatically become more relaxed and will sound warmer and more personable.

You are not the only person whose attitude is changed by your smile. Other people will recognize the smile in your voice and begin to ease up themselves. Remember smiling is contagious; it is hard to stay mad at someone with a smile on their face, or in this case in their voice.

Having difficulties remembering to smile on the phone? Here are some helpful tips that will bring that smile out in full force.

• Leave notes for yourself at your desk or wherever you talk most on the phone so you always see that little reminder

• Keep a mirror close by or check yourself out in a reflective surface to see if you are remembering to smile

• Look at things that make you smile while you talk – flowers, kittens, puppies, smiley faces, whatever does the trick

• Try reading jokes or funny comics before important calls so you’re relaxed and begin the call sounding warm and receptive

Next time you have to make a call, try smiling before dialing and see if it makes a difference! 

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Nowadays there’s an app for just about anything, and this includes dental care and oral health. While, the majority of the apps under this genre are geared for dentists and dental students, there are some that are great for the everyday consumer. Some of the ones we’ve seen and heard a lot about:

Helpful Apps

• MyDentist – A patient-focused communication service that allows people to contact their dentist directly using features of the app like text, pictures, and diagrams to report emergencies. Because patients are able to give more detail and do so remotely, dentists are in turn able to send instructions on what to do next. The app also offers the ability for patients to schedule appointments, leave messages for the office staff and share referrals.

• Virtual Dentist – An app that lets users upload photos of their teeth and see what different procedures would look like, i.e. braces or gum bleaching.

• 3D Teeth – An educational app that shows each individual tooth in 3D and provides information about each tooth’s function and more. 

Entertainment Apps

• The Fake Dentist – the app allows users to take a photo of their teeth and then get a diagnosis for what kind of procedure they might need. Though the tooth checkup is not real, it is a fun prank tool.

• Brush Teeth Free – An app that literally lets you brush teeth!

• Toothpict – The app that let’s you point out where and what kind of food is stuck in your friends teeth.

Some of the educational and entertainment-based apps are also a great opportunity for parents to share an enthusiasm for brushing teeth with their kids. 

 Schedule an appointment and ask if you can have your teeth fitted for a mouthguard.

These days, celebrities are admired for everything from their keen fashion sense to their shiny hair and witty personalities, but how much do you know about their smiles?

Test your knowledge by matching these celeb megawatt grins with their smile-spirational descriptions below.

Let us know how many you matched in the comments below. And remember, with the right amount of care and attention, your grill can be a star too! Schedule an appointment with your local Monarch Dental Office.

Answers: 1. D; 2. E; 3. A; 4. B; 5. C

Should you be using a traditional, electric or sonic toothbrush? Check out what our resident blogger, Sandra Johnson has to say about the difference between the three. And remember, If a sonic toothbrush sounds right for you, enter into our Monarch Dental Intelisonic toothbrush sweepstakes. We're giving away a brush every week this month! (prize valued at $200)

Nothing gets your attention quite like sensitive teeth. One minute you’re sipping your morning coffee or enjoying some ice cream, and the next minute you’re unpleasantly reminded that hot, cold and other factors set your teeth on edge. If this describes you, try these simple tips to help ease your tooth sensitivity. 

• Don’t brush hard, brush well: A little force goes a long way when you’re brushing. Brushing too hard can break down the defensive layers of your teeth, causing discomfort and sensitivity. Be sure to use a soft bristled brush, and focus on proper technique over brute force.  

• Plaque is not your friend: When plaque builds up on your teeth, it slowly breaks down the enamel which is a leading cause of sensitivity. Skipping flossing is the most common mistake that leads to plaque buildup.    

• Change toothpastes: If you use a teeth whitening toothpaste or mouthwash, this may be contributing to your tooth sensitivity. This is a common side effect of the whitening agents that many of these products use. Try switching to a non-whitening product to see if the problem subsides.    

• Protect your teeth from each other:  One of the things most likely to damage your teeth is other teeth when you grind them. This wears down the outer layer of your teeth, exposing the extremely sensitive nerves. A simple mouth guard worn at night is a great way to avoid this damage. Schedule an appointment and ask if you can have your teeth fitted for a mouthguard.

Have you been thinking about purchasing a sonic toothbrush? Depending on the brand, you could be looking at a significant investment up front, but the long-term benefits could be worth it.

During the month of April, Monarch Dental will be giving away a free Intelisonic toothbrush every week on its Facebook page. To enter, just follow the link below, and submit your name and email address. We’ll draw a random winner at the end of each week.

http://woobox.com/9ynchb

Talk to you dentist about whether a sonic toothbrush might be right for you. Here are a few of the upsides to investing in one:

1. More strokes: With a traditional toothbrush, you’ll probably average a few hundred brush-strokes per minute; with a sonic brush, you’ll get upwards of 30,000. (The Intelisonic we’re giving away this month boasts 31,000 per minute.) Studies have varied on whether sonic brushes are “better” – a traditional brush, used properly, can still adequately clean your teeth – but the added strokes can certainly make brushing easier.

2. Timed brushing: To get a good clean, you need to brush for at least two minutes. An egg timer next to the sink will work fine, but most sonic brushes are programmed to run for the recommended duration. 

3. Variable settings: Many sonic brushes offer different settings for different types of teeth or different types of brushing. For example, you may want a more delicate brushing experience if you have sensitive teeth – the Intelisonic can do that.

There are a lot of options when it comes to freshening your breath, making it tough to decide if it’s better to opt for chewing gum, sprays, mints or strips. The most commonly used products however are chewing gum and mints.

Here are some of the pros and cons we found people saying about each:

If you have chronic bad breath, you may also consider scheduling an appointment at the dentist. Click here to find your local office.