Halloween is an exciting holiday—full of color, flavor and fun costumes. With extra access to sugary candy, it is also an important time to pay attention to your child’s diet.

Here is a step-by-step guide with tips we hope you’ll find useful in protecting your child’s dental health this Halloween:

Step 1. Inspect

As a strong precaution, always take the time to inspect and sort through your child’s Halloween candy and check for tampered, open packaging or unsafe items.  At the same time, sort out hard candy that may damage or chip your child’s teeth and chewy candy that has a higher likelihood of causing cavities.

The acids produced by sugar in the mouth create a likely environment for cavity-causing bacteria to thrive. As Dr. Smigel points out, “A chewy candy sticks to the teeth for a longer period (about half an hour) and gives bacteria a foothold.” Naturally, saliva in the mouth will wash away most sugar. However, candy that adheres to teeth and dental appliances (such as braces and retainers) will slow down this natural process, and make it more difficult for saliva to rid the mouth of sugar.

Candy to look out for:

Step 2. Schedule a treat time

A good word of advice for cavity prevention is limiting the exposure to sugar on your child’s teeth. Dr. Smigel recommends setting a “weekly treat time” for your child.

You should allow a specific amount of candy for your child to consume based on age (the younger your child, the less candy). Why once a week as opposed to once a day? As Dr. Smigel explains, “The number of exposures to sugar is more significant than the amount consumed. A handful of candy is better eaten all at once instead of every half an hour.”

Immediately following treat time, have your child drink a glass of water and properly brush, rinse and floss their teeth to get rid of excess sugar and plaque.

Step 3. Encourage proper dental hygiene Year-round, be sure your child is brushing for a full two minutes, two times a day, with special emphasis before bedtime. For a complete guideline, see Oral Care for Kids.

Tip: Supersmile Whitening toothpaste in Green Apple is a fall favorite, and a child-friendly choice.

Step 4. Replace candy with Halloween alternatives

Speaking of green apples…

Opting for healthy snacks like fresh fruit and crisp veggies are choice for maintaining healthy, white teeth.
In addition, there are some treats that can replace candy that’s not so friendly to your child’s teeth.

Studies show that chewing sugar free xylitol gum and eating FDA-approved, sugar free licorice lollipops may eliminate S. mutans—the main cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.
Be sure to consult your family dentist for further information. Always remember to schedule regular dental checkups for your child to ensure he or she is receiving proper dental care.

Happy Halloween!

We had a blast at Fashion’s Night Out this month. And if you were able to join in on the exclusive events, we’re sure you did too.

We’re sending big thank you to all our fans that snapped a shot with our street team and tweeted their photos to the contest.  It was so great to meet Supersmile users and we can’t wait to see you again next year!

10 winners were chosen based on creative expression and received a fabulous prize–$150 of Supersmile products plus an “Isn’t it time for a Quikee” t-shirt! Take a look at these fun snapshots…we loved them all!

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Supersmile will be hosting contests every month—so If you missed out this time, don’t worry! You’ll have plenty of chances to win big soon!

Stay tuned for future contests, giveaways and promotions.

(Hint: to receive first-hand alerts, join our newsletter on supersmile.com)

Catch the Supersmile Street Teams on Thursday, September 8^th from 5 -10 pm for a chance to WIN $150  of Supersmile teeth whitening products and an “Isn’t it time for a Quikee” tee shirt!

Attention NYC fashionistas:

It’s that time of the year when shoppers get to experience a night full of exclusive events from top fashion designers citywide.

On Thursday, September 8th from 5-10pm, Celebrate Fashion’s Night Out NYC with Supersmile and…

Put a smile on our faces!  Take a picture with the Supersmile street team and tweet your photo to @supersmileusa. The top 10 most CREATIVE pictures will receive $150 of Supersmile products and an “Isn’t it time for a Quikee?” shirt (a Supersmile exclusive).  So, have fun with it and bring your friends!

The Supersmile street teams will be all over the city and nearby top retailers such as:

• Bloomingdales

59th Street & Lexington Avenue

• Bergdorf Goodman

5th Avenue at 58th Street

• Jeffrey

West 14th St. b/t 9th & 10th Ave

• Tory Burch

797 Madison Avenue

• Ricky’s

2387 Broadway at 87th Street

• Missoni for Target pop-up

6th Avenue and 42nd Street

We’ll be wearing “Isn’t it time for a Quikee?” shirts, so it’ll be easy for you to spot us…

See you there, and Good Luck!

Contest Rules:

1. 1.    Must follow @supersmileusa on Twitter.

2. 2.    Tweet must include “@supersmileusa” and hash tag “#contest”

3. Attach your photo with any of the Twitter photo apps using your phone, mobile device or computer.

4. 4.    Deadline for submission is Sunday, 9/11/2011 at 10pm.

10 Winners will be announced on Twitter on Tuesday, 9/13/2011 at 6pm.

Think of your favorite celebrity.  What makes them so attractive?  Is it their bright eyes?  Trendy hairstyle?  Vibrant outfit?

If we asked you to picture your favorite star on the Red Carpet, to imagine their look or expression, undoubtedly you’d see them smiling. Who wouldn’t be happy to flash their perfectly white superstar smile?

In the past, many of us believed that acquiring white teeth seems within the reach of the select starlets. And now that Supersmile has made it easy for anyone to get their teeth VIP-white, we want to give you these celebrity smile tips too!

If you missed the chance to join us this past weekend in the Hamptons, we have the top highlights to fill you in on QVC’s annual Super Saturday fundraising event.

You’ve probably read one of the many celebrity tweets mentioning it—like the one above from fashionista, Rachel Zoe—that piqued your curiosity. The all-day event took place at Nova’s Art Project in Water Mill, NY last Saturday, and plenty of delight awaited those who attended: relaxing spa sessions, scrumptious snacks and food, psychic readings, as well as fun games, rides and arts and crafts for the kids, and much more.

Some highlights from this years event:

Designer Garage Sale

With over 200 elite brands showcased, including Diane Von Furstenberg, Kate Spade and Jimmy Choo , attendees were able to shop ‘til they dropped at bargain prices (DKNY reportedly sold items at $20 or less) with no hesitation. Totaling about $3 ½ million, all of the proceeds contributed to the OCRF—for ovarian cancer research and prevention—so there was even more incentive to buy!

Celebrities

Hosted by Emma Roberts, Ariel Foxman of In Style, designer Donna Karan, and, Kelly Ripa (donning a lovely zebra-stripe dress), the star-studded event brought much attention to a noteworthy cause. Famous faces like Isaac Mizrahi were there to share the enjoyment.

Supersmile creator, Dr. Irwin Smigel, and daughter Bellanca (Associate VP of Supersmile) were also spotted in a meet-and-great with QVC’s Lisa Robertson, wearing these very tongue-in-cheek Quikee shirts

…And the best part of all? The remarkable goodie bag!

Along with all of the exciting memories, spa treatments, latest beauty and fashion tips, attendees got to take home a smashing goodie bag—full of a variety of amazements from gift cards to beauty products, interactive workout videos, and even apparel!

According to Style.com, this year’s bag-o-surprises weighed over 100 lbs—that’s a whopping four times as heavy as last year’s 25-pounder.

And if that isn’t enough reason to look forward to next year’s Super Saturday, check out these exciting photos of us at the fundraising event:



We’ve all seen beauty trends come and go, and some of us have even fallen victim to a few.  (We needn’t remind of you of the electric blue eye shadow of the 80’s nor the magenta lipstick, teased hair and acid wash jeans that usually accompanied it).  However, there are certain beauty regimens that never go out of style, like having flawless pearly whites and a perfect pout to offset it.

Though taste for elegance and appeal is fleeting and loveliness translates uniquely from person to person, a flawless and friendly smile is one thing that transcends time and culture.

To have brighter white teeth is a classic, age-old yearning. So old, that we’re not even completely sure just how old the phenomenon. Lately, technological and scientific advancements have made the trend even more popular—everyone knows white teeth are essential to a lovely smile.

But we have sparkling new secrets to share—super-trendy ways to refresh your pearly white smile…and dare say, make it look even more white and irresistible.  It’s mostly lip service (but not the kind you’re used to…)

Exfoliate

Your lips, that is.  This will eliminate dead skin—which is what makes lips dry and wrinkly with split lines. Dead skin on the lips also cause lips to lose their natural glow. You can easily keep your lips polished with simple trick. Using a dry, soft, polished rounded-bristle toothbrush, gently scrub your lips from top to bottom.  Be sure to designate this brush for lip-exfoliation purposes only—you don’t want to mistake your regular toothbrush with your lip brush!

Moisturize

Use a lip balm, gloss or stick to keep your lips smooth and supple. They won’t just feel and look better, but they’ll also be more flexible…so you ‘ll be able to smile your full smile.  Choose a balm with ingredients like Boswellia extract, a natural anti-inflammatory agent and sodium hyaluronate—both prevent premature signs of aging and will help hydrate your lips.  (It’s always good to drink plenty of water as well, as it keeps your skin and lips moist by providing hydration from the inside, out.)

Whiten

Whiten your teeth to perfection! Supersmile has an entire line of safe and effective teeth whitening products available for every lifestyle—even flavored and on-the-go systems! The unique formula is 100% kosher, gluten-free and contains no harsh abrasives. Unlike other whitening brands, Supersmile products work to remove the protein pellicle, the sticky film on teeth that collects plaque and stains, leaving teeth cleaner and whiter for longer.  Supersmile also contains ingredients to strengthen and remineralize your teeth as it whitens- so expect your whitest and healthiest smile, yet!

Snack Healthy

Certain foods will stain and discolor your teeth. Red wine, coffee and tea are a few beverages that cause tooth stains. Healthy snacks like strawberries, which contain malic acid, naturally whiten your teeth.   For healthy gums, choose crispy apples and crunchy vegetables (carrots, celery, etc) and rinsing with warm salt water to strengthen your gums.

Perfect your pout with bright hues

Brightly colored lipstick creates pure contrast with your white teeth—a spectacular frame for your stainless smile!  To find the perfect smile-enhancing shade, consider your skin tone and hair color.  Avoid colors with yellow undertones as they will pick up any yellow in your teeth.  Reds, violets and pinks will provide the greatest contrast.

July 30^th 2011: Mark your calendars!

Along with leading brands like John Frieda, TOCCA, BabyLegs, MDSolarSciences and more, Supersmile is excited to attend QVC’s Super Saturday in Water Mill, NY.

Super Saturday is an all-day family event whose proceeds will support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. And guess which Supersmile star will host? The lovely Kelly Ripa!

So what’s in store for enthusiastic fans?

Well, aside from a fashionable garage sale (we hear there will be over 200 trendy designers showcased!) a fun carnival for the kids, raffle prizes and chic beauty treatments…

How does a five-star gift bag containing a collection of surprises sounds? (Reportedly, last year’s goody bag weighed 25 lbs. and contained a total of 65 items).

QVC will also showcase the event live on tv:

Dedicated to women’s health, in the past 13 years the OCRF has raised close to $40 million in funds to support researching ovarian cancer, including finding treatment, early detection and risk factors associated.

Supersmile, an OCRF Gold Donor, is proud to lend support for the fight against ovarian cancer. Join us at the end of this month at QVC’s Super Saturday.

The Supersmile guide to embracing a wholesome, happy life.

Have a headache?
Lack of creative motivation?
Feeling under the weather?
Lonely?
Low energy?
Blue?
Need to motivate your colleagues?

We have the all-inclusive cure for alleviating these afflictions: Just smile!

Research on the effects of smiling finds the more you smile, the healthier and happier you will be. Psychological studies point out that flexing your smile-muscles—or, zygomaticus major located in your cheeks—positively affects your attitude.

We’re all well aware of the implications of a bright, white smile on your level of confidence and appeal.

What about the benefits on your health? Specifically, what’s the correlation between your smile and your mood?

What Can Smiling Do For You?

Health Benefits

1. Increases levels of serotonin
2. Produces endorphins
3. Acts as a natural pain reliever
4. Boosts a healthy immune system
5. Supports a strong cardiovascular system
6. Nourishes a youthful appearance

Social Benefits

1. Inspires creativity
2. Energizes
3. Promotes a productive workplace; encourages positive interactions between colleagues
4. Reduces anxiety and stress
5. Elevates the mood of individuals in a social setting
6. Increases happiness

Xylitol is a natural sweetener extracted from fruit (plums, for example) as well as corn. It is non-toxic and is the only sweetener in Supersmile’s Whitening Gum.

Expecting mothers: give your baby something to smile about even before birth. Recent studies prove xylitol may be beneficial on pediatric oral health. A controlled experiment analyzed the dental health of children born to mothers who chewed xylitol gum during their first 6 months of pregnancy, each day until their babies reached 9 months of age. Comparing these results to children born to mothers who did not chew xylitol during this 15-month period, researchers found that babies born to mothers who chew xylitol gum are far less likely to produce streptococcus mutans—the main cavity-causing bacteria.

As research reveals (and expert dentists recommend) a solid pediatric oral care routine should begin at a young age. Around 2 years old is standard to set the stage for your child, ensuring a lifetime of positive dental hygienic practice.  This is a long and difficult process.

Why not begin the process earlier? Ensuring your little one isn’t predisposed to dental caries can be as easy as chewing Supersmile’s Advanced Professional Whitening Gum…whose main ingredient and only sweetener is xylitol!

Chewing gum containing xylitol will make training your children to brush, rinse and floss much easier—by safeguarding your children from cavities early on. Now it’s possible to whiten your teeth and prevent dental cavities in your baby’s mouth as well as your own—at the same time!

(Oh, and did we mention it tastes great too?)

What goes better with a tan, than a sparkling white smile!?

You’ve picked up the perfect sunglasses, an enviable bathing suit, and are ready to get to work on your flawless tan—now here are a few quick tips to make sure your smile is just a perfect!

1.     Have a Quikee on the beach:  Nothing touches up a white smile like the Quikee—our on-the-go instant whitening polish which dissolves in your mouth, taking fresh stains with it. It’s perfect after that refreshing iced coffee, or bright raspberry sorbet! Pop one in your beach bag and you’re good to go!

2.     30 Seconds a day takes the stains away:  You’re doing an extra 30 crunches to make sure your abs are chiseled, why not take an extra 30 seconds to make sure your smile is just as great!? Apply our Activating Rods for 30 seconds before your brush with the Professional Whitening System.  Simply rub the gel across your teeth and leave on for 30 seconds, brush, and you’ll notice a whiter smile instantly!

3.     Whitening gum is a chew-in: Gorgeous lifeguard needs to give you mouth to mouth?  Not only will it freshen your breath after a long day at the beach but the Supersmile Whitening Gum will combat the yellow tinge that sun gives to dingy teeth.  Not only will it freshen your breath after a long day at the beach, but the Supersmile Whitening Gum will combat newly accumulated stains from coffee, tea, tobacco, red wine and other foods.