As a family dentist in Edmonton, Westmount Dental Centre strives to encourage patients to take an active role in their dental health. One of the best ways to do this is to make more tooth-friendly foods and snacks at home. Smoothies, as long as they aren't full of extra sugar and contain a variety of fruits and vegetables, can be great for your teeth and gums. Making your smoothies at home will allow you to control exactly what goes into them.
To make a smoothie, just combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until the mixture has reached the desired consistency. Here are four smoothie recipes for healthy teeth from the Edmonton dentists at Westmount Dental Centre. Strawberry Flax Smoothie - 1 cup frozen strawberries - 2 teaspoons flax seed - Handful of spinach leaves - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup skim milk Flaxseeds are great for dental health because they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acid, which can reduce inflammation. Pair them with strawberries, spinach, and yogurt, and you've got a smoothie that can help keep your gums healthy. Green Tea Smoothie - 1 cup water - 2 teaspoons matcha powder - 1 cup coconut milk - 1/2 cucumber - 1/2 avocado - 1 tablespoon ghee - 1 tablespoon cod liver oil - Handful of kale leaves - Ice Thanks to the combination of ghee, cod liver oil, and the antioxidants found in green tea, this delicious matcha smoothie can help remineralize and strengthen your teeth. Fruit and Berry Sensation Smoothie - 1 banana - 1 kiwi - 1 orange - 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries - 1 cup Greek yogurt Get your daily dose of fibre and satisfy your sweet tooth without any added sugar with this fantastic mix of all of your favourite fruits and berries. Apple and Kiwi Smoothie - 3 small apples - 1/3 cup apple juice - 2 kiwis - 1/2 cup strawberries Eating apples can not only keep your teeth healthier but whiter looking as well. This tasty apple smoothie offers many of the same benefits. Sourcing Your Smoothie Ingredients Ready to start making smoothies? First, you need to have the right ingredients and equipment. After your next scheduled teeth cleaning in Edmonton at Westmount Dental Centre, you can stop by the Safeway in the Westmount Centre shopping mall to pick up a variety of fresh and frozen fruits, as well as any of the other ingredients needed for the smoothie recipes above. If you don't have a food processor at home, then you can also swing by The Home Depot to pick one up. For truly fresh ingredients that you've harvested with your own two hands, consider stopping by a U-pick farm. Some of the best U-pick farms in the Edmonton area include The Berry Farm, Prairie Gardens, Happy Acres U Pick, Sprout Farm Apple Orchards, Brix 'n Berries U Pick, and Horse Hill Berry Farms. At Westmount Dental Centre, our Edmonton dentists and staff are always looking for ways to help our patients live a more tooth-friendly lifestyle. For more tips on improving your dental health, contact our West Edmonton dentist today.