Researchers say quantity and quality of chocolate are key factors in health benefits. Chocolate may be loaded with calories, but it may also be good for your heart if it’s eaten in moderation and is also of high quality. Researchers in Boston examined data from a 9 year study—the key findings were:

Women who ate an average of 1-2 servings of high quality chocolate per week had a 32% lower risk of developing heart failure.

Women who had 1-3 servings per month had a 26% reduced risk.

Women who ate at least 1 serving daily did not appear to benefit from a protective effect, perhaps due to the additional calories gained from eating chocolate instead of more nutritious foods. You can’t ignore that chocolate is calorie dense and large amounts of habitual consumption will raise your risk for weight gain. But if you are going to treat yourself, dark chocolate is a good choice.

Be aware of U.S. chocolate verses European chocolate. The differences in quality may have implications for Americans. In addition, watch your portions. This is not a” eat all you want” message, rather it’s a message that eating a little dark chocolate can be healthful and anything that helps to decrease heart failure is an important issue worth examining.

Your mouth is more than just a pretty smile. It is the gateway to your overall health. Keeping that gateway clean may not only keep you healthier but looking younger too!

” Just as white, straight teeth convey youth, a smile with crooked, discolored, worn or missing teeth is associated with an aged look. The adage “long in the tooth ” is sometimes used to describe older persons and reflects the fact that gum disease causes gums to recede and teeth to appear longer as a result.”  says a professor of restorative dentistry at UCLA’s School of Dentistry.

Keeping a youthful smile comes down to 2 simple, proven, and practical steps:          Brush and floss daily and see your dentist every 6 months.

What’s stopping you? Perhaps some folks just don’t take oral health seriously. However, many people take their looks very seriously. While keeping a beautiful smile is a priority for most, some people may not think about their gums. Brushing takes time and flossing can be a difficult habit for people to acquire. Only 25% of people floss their teeth.

Inflammation, Periodontal Disease. Inflammation can happen when bacteria and debris, such as food particles, enter the blood vessels around the teeth. Inflammation is your body’s response to such invaders. The mouth is one of the major contributors to high levels of inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is linked to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Then there is periodontal disease, which affects 80% of Americans. It’s caused by extensive bacterial buildup along the gums and teeth. Periodontal disease is the top cause for tooth loss.

Stained teeth. Smoking and drinking, particularly red wine and coffee, can stain your teeth and affect how old you look. Teeth whitening in the dental office has become increasingly popular and a great way to look and feel younger.

Of course you need to do more than brush, floss and see your dentist to stay young. Your entire lifestyle matters. If you want to slow down the aging clock, make sure to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, make time for exercise and keep down your levels of inflammation by taking care of your teeth and gums. The fact remains, there are no shortcuts to getting and staying healthy.

Are your pearly whites starting to not look so pearly? If so, Dr. Shlafer recommends you start with these four “must-dos” to help your mouth look and feel fabulous.

Kick the habit. I’m sure you don’t need another person in your life to explain why you need to quit smoking. As you know, the nicotine and tar in cigarettes are not only turning you teeth an unsightly shade of yellow, but they are eating away at your gums. Smoking creates a ripe environment for bacteria and plaque on your teeth and along the gum line. The harm to your tissue will eventually increase your risk of tooth loss.

Pay a visit. If you are prone to ditching the dentist, it turns out that roughly 50% of adults in the United States  don’t see a dentist on a yearly basis because of  “dentist-phobia”, finances, or just plain neglect. Regular trips to the dentist can catch problems such as decay, gum disease, trauma, or cancer when they are in the early stages and solutions are more affordable.

Brush right. Is your brushing technique below par? Maybe you don’t brush often enough. It only takes 2-3 minutes to properly clean your teeth and gums.

Finesse flossing. Flossing is fundamental to keeping teeth and gums clean–but only if you do it right. Snapping and popping your way through the process probably does more harm than good, causing friction on tissue and damage at the gum-line. Make sure to keep the floss tight against your tooth to break up plaque while leaving your gums in good shape.

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  These days it’s not just the kids getting a lunch packed in the mornings, there are several  great reasons why grown-ups might want to pack a lunch for themselves during the work week too. When you pack your lunch, you  know you’re bringing a healthy meal for yourself. So, here are some tips for packing a brown bag lunch that will keep your taste-buds tantalized!

• Design an upscale sandwich. Why settle for your usual sandwich when you can add interesting ingredients? Here are some examples: Roast turkey, provolone cheese,avocado on whole grain bread spread with olive tapenade (available at Trader Joe’s). Or grilled eggplant and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, topped with fresh basil leaves and served on whole grain bread.
• Include the 3 key components. A special sandwich or lunch entree includes these 3 components;  Nutrient-rich side dishes such as fruits, vegetables or salad and something sweet or crunchy-like nuts, trail mix, or yogurt. All will make for a delicious and satisfying lunch.
• It’s a wrap!  Buy some whole grain flour tortillas and try this combination: top a whole grain tortilla with some light Caesar dressing, sliced skinless chicken breast, parmesan cheese, tomatoes and lettuce.
• It’s all in the spread. Want to turn your sandwich into a high flavor delight? Try these spreads: olive tapenade; sundried tomato pesto; basil pesto, roasted red pepper hummas; mango peach salsa, or mango chutney.
• Make it a lunch salad.  Do you have leftover pasta, potatoes, or tabbouleh? Stir in some leftover lean meat, reduced fat cheese and or veggies and you’ve got lunch!

What are some of your favorite brown bag lunches?

Rachael Ray’s Grilled Moroccan-Spiced Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney Slaw

3 1/2-4 pounds ground turkey breast

2 tablespoons ground cumin, 2 palmfuls

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/3 palmful

2 teaspoons sweet or smoked sweet paprika, 2/3palmful

1 tablespoon ground coriander, a palmful

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/3 palmful

1 tablespoon curry powder, a palmful

1 small onion, grated

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, a handful, chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper

EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), for drizzling

1⁄2 cup prepared mango chutney (find it on the international aisle)

3/4 cup plain yogurt (eyeball it; look for thick, creamy Greek-style

yogurt)

1 16-ounce sack of shredded cabbage mix

8 pita breads, any flavor or variety

Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium high.

Combine the turkey, cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cayenne, curry powder, onions, garlic, cilantro or parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well to distribute the spices. Form the mixture into eight large patties about 1 inch thick. Drizzle the patties with EVOO and grill them for six minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

While the burgers are grilling, chop up the mango chutney, breaking up any large chunks. (This may not be necessary depending on the brand you buy.) Transfer the chutney to a bowl and mix with the lemon juice and yogurt. Add the cabbage mix and a little salt and pepper and toss to combine.

When the turkey burgers are done, put the pitas on the grill and heat on each side just to warm them up. Open up the pocket in each pita, nestle a turkey burger inside each, and spoon in some of the mango chutney slaw.

The insurance puzzle continues. The world of insurance changes frequently, partly because employers are looking for ways to cut costs so they can still offer benefits to their employees and partly because the insurance companies are offering suggestions of cost cutting measures.

Why are some services not covered by my insurance? Your employer determines what services will be covered and the percentage of coverage for each procedure. The insurance company is just administering the plan. Many times procedures that are considered cosmetic, or an upgrade from what would be considered the minimum treatment to restore a tooth’s function are not covered. A good example would be a back tooth that needs a filling. Dr.Shlafer would recommend a white tooth colored filling, and many insurance plans still  cover for a silver mercury filling. In this case, you would be responsible for the difference. This is an example of a cosmetic upgrade. Most patients want non metallic restorations in their mouths and love having a tooth that appears to have no dental work on it.

Another popular question involves frequency limitations. Once again, the employer determines how frequently services can be done. A common example would be for a periodontal patient, this patient comes every 3-4 months for hygiene visits  and wonders about coverage for their extra visits to care for their periodontal condition. Many plans only allow coverage once every 6 months, or 2 times within the contract year. This is why the patient becomes responsible for the  1-2 necessary additional visits.

Checking insurance benefits does require personal information. It is understandable that patient’s want to protect their personal information, and many insurance companies are using random ID numbers to locate your benefits. Unfortunately many still require the subscriber’s social security number, employer’s name, subscriber’s date of birth and the patients date of birth. We take every precaution to protect your personal information. It’s always a good idea to become familiar with your dental plan, so you are aware of your coverage details.

Insurance enrollment is just around the corner. Take a moment to read over your benefit choices. We are always available to answer questions. More on insurance–stay tuned.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

WHITENING WINNER………..

ELISABETH!

She’s very excited! We will see her this Monday to get started with her whitening. If you have ever wondered about  the whitening procedure, now’s your chance to follow Elisabeth through her whitening process. Elisabeth has agreed to share her story and we  will  be video taping portions of her visits. Watch to see her transformation!

We’d like to thank everyone for participating in our FREE WHITENING giveaway. It was a great success! We are now in the process of notifying the winner by email.

Stay tuned. We will announce the WINNER on August 25th!

Patients frequently ask many questions about their dental insurance.  It can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming trying to understand your plan benefits  so, let’s try to unravel the mysteries of the insurance world together.

• What does” insurance maximum” mean? The maximum is a dollar amount (for example $1000.00) determined by your employer that can be applied to your covered dental procedures. This amount is available to use during your contract year.
• Is the maximum for my whole family? No. Each eligible family member receives their own  yearly maximum.
• When is the contract year? This is decided by your employer, and can run from January 1st through Dec 31 st-commonly referred to as a calendar year, or any month for example June 1st through May 31st is referred to as a fiscal year.
• Can we use other family member’s maximums? No, unfortunately there is no sharing of maximums.
• If I do not use all my insurance money will it carry over to next year? No. Whatever insurance money is not used during your contract year is lost.
• If I have a $1500.00 maximum, can I use this whole amount for one service? No. Insurance plans are set up with 3 different categories or levels of coverage. One is preventative–two is basic –and three is major. Each one of these categories is paid at a specific percentage of coverage. For example:  a healthy mouth cleaning may be covered at 100%, whereas  a root canal may be covered at 70%, and a crown might be at 50%.
• Aren’t preventive services covered no matter what? No. Even if your contract states coverage at 100%, you must have money available in your current maximum to cover the visit. All services are subtracted from your maximum.

Join us tomorrow for more information regarding your insurance policy. Please feel free to submit any questions you may have.