Tooth Enamel Too Weak For Porcelain Veneers? Strengthen Them With Fresh Or Frozen Cranberries

If you dream of getting porcelain veneers placed on your front teeth, but your tooth enamel is too weak to support them, take steps to strengthen your enamel now. Although porcelain veneers are excellent cosmetic treatments, they may not always be right for anyone who has exceptionally weak or thin tooth enamel. Veneer placement requires a dentist to remove some of your tooth enamel during the treatment. Because your enamel is already thin, a dentist may suggest that you wait until you strengthen your enamel before getting veneers. One of the things you might do to strengthen your tooth enamel is eat fresh or frozen cranberries. Here's what you should know about cranberries and how to get the most out of them.

What's So Special About Cranberries?

You may already the know the importance of drinking and consuming foods and liquids fortified with calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients help strengthen your teeth and jaw bones. But what you might not know is that cranberries can help protect your tooth enamel from the bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. Streptococcus mutans is responsible for the formation of plaque.

Some researchers believe that the juice of cranberries forms a strong shield on your teeth, which keeps plaque-causing bacteria from sticking or clinging to their surfaces. However, you want to moderate how you consume and purchase cranberry juice. Most store-bought juices contain excessive sugars that damage teeth. In addition, cranberries do contain acids that may cause problems with your tooth enamel if you consume it too much.

It's important to select unsweetened fresh or frozen cranberries to achieve the best benefits. 

How Do You Eat Cranberries?

Since cranberry season tends to run from September to November or later, you might want to purchase frozen whole cranberries from your local grocery store. You can stock up on the berries and create a number of healthy dishes, smoothies and desserts until you can purchase fresh cranberries.

Here's a quick smoothie recipe you can try now or later:

• Place 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries in boiling water for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
• Allow the berries to cool down before you continue to the next step.
• Place 1 cups of strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of organic honey and 1/2 cup of icy-cold fat-free milk in a blender.
• Add the cranberries to the blender, then combine all ingredients on high for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the smoothie mixture into chilled glasses and enjoy.

You can substitute the strawberry yogurt with another flavor to suit your taste. For the best results, consume the smoothie at least once a week. 

If you have additional concerns about your tooth enamel or veneers, contact a dentist like Aaron G Birch, DDS PC today.