Giving thanks for teeth.

• Position: Dentistry - Brief article

Depending on how you look at it, Thanksgiving either is three months in the rearview mirror or will be here again in a mere nine months. However, any time is a good one to show gratitude for the 32 little friends that live in our mouths. DentalPlans, Plantation Fla., provides many reasons why we should give thanks for our teeth:

* With at least three meals a day, an average chewing rate of about 10 times per mouthful of food, means approximately 10,000 bites per meal. With a minimum of three meals per day, that equates to 30,000 chews per day.

* If kept healthy, teeth help to prevent risk for serious conditions or disease such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even infertility.

* Cheese and wine, anyone? This pair can ward off decay. According to the American Dental Association, Chicago, III., red wine contains chemicals (proanthocyanidins) that may help stop bacteria from sticking to teeth, and cheese helps ward off cavities by making saliva more alkaline.

* The average person spends 38 days brushing his or her teeth, a mere month and change during an entire lifetime ... and to think that, before modern toothpaste, people scrubbed their teeth with a variety of rough, unfavorable...