Why Does Nutrition Play a Role in my Child's Dental Health?
- To stay healthy and to advance in growth, your child needs food from all the major food groups.
- However, too many carbohydrates, sugars, and starches can cause tooth decay (cookies, candies, pretzels, potato chips, and sugary beverages).
- It is also a matter of how long the carbohydrates remain on the tooth surface before being removed by brushing that leads to cavity formation.
Tips For Selecting and Eating Foods That Are Healthy For Your Child’s Teeth:
1. Eat healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables instead of carbohydrates.
2. Cheese is a great choice with your child’s lunch or as a snack.
3. Sticky, chewy foods should be avoided as much as possible.
4. If you are going to serve sugary treats, serve them with meals and not as snacks.
5. Try to limit the frequency of snacks your child has throughout the day.
6. Avoid sugary and sticky foods that coat your child’s teeth.
7. Try to limit your child's sugar intake.
8. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle filled with milk, formula, juice, or soda..
9. Give your child plain water instead of juice or soda.
10. Include good sources of calcium in your child’s diet to build strong teeth.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d.)
1. Eat healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables instead of carbohydrates.
- Fruits and vegetables that are high in water concentration such as pears, melons, celery, and cucumbers are highly recommended. Limit bananas and raisins, as these contain concentrated sugars.
2. Cheese is a great choice with your child’s lunch or as a snack.
- Cheese, especially cheddar, monterey jack, swiss, and other aged cheeses, help to trigger the flow of saliva, which helps wash food particles away from teeth.
3. Sticky, chewy foods should be avoided as much as possible.
- Raisins, dried figs, granola bars, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, jelly beans, caramel, honey, molasses, and syrup stick to teeth, making it difficult for saliva to wash away. If your child consumes these types of foods, have him or her brush their teeth after eating.
4. If you are going to serve sugary treats, serve them with meals and not as snacks.
- If you plan to give your child any sweets, give them as desserts immediately following the meal. After your child eats there is normally an increase in saliva flow in your child’s mouth and this makes it easier to wash food away from teeth. The mealtime beverage also helps to wash away food particles on teeth. Beverages like water and milk are ideal choices.
5. Try to limit the frequency of snacks your child has throughout the day.
- The more often your child is exposed to multiple snacks at different parts of the day can help cause tooth decay. Time between meals allow saliva to wash away food particles bacteria would otherwise feast on. Frequent snacking, without brushing immediately afterwards, provides constant fuel to feed bacteria, which leads to plaque development and tooth decay. Try to limit snacks as much as possible and to no more than one or two a day. Brush teeth after consuming the snack, if possible.
6. Avoid sugary and sticky foods that coat your child’s teeth.
- Lollipops, hard candies, cough drops, and mints all contribute to tooth decay because they continuously coat the teeth with sugar.
7. Try to limit your child's sugar intake.
- Buy foods that are sugar-free or unsweetened.
8. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle filled with milk, formula, juice, or soda..
- If your baby needs a bottle at bedtime, fill it with plain water.
9. Give your child plain water instead of juice or soda.
- Juices, sodas, and even milk contain sugar. Water does not harm the teeth and aids in washing away any food particles that may be clinging to teeth.
10. Include good sources of calcium in your child’s diet to build strong teeth.
- Milk, broccoli, and yogurt are great examples.
(Cleveland Clinic, n.d.)