By: Excellence in Dentistry
Did you know that what your children eat on a daily basis will affect the health of their teeth not just now but later in life? The foods that we choose for them and how often they are permitted to consume snacks, is directly related to the health of their teeth and gums. The following are some healthy eating tips from Excellence in Dentistry:
- Limit snacking and drinking between meals.
- It is best to drink water all day.
- When providing snacks, offer good choices.
- Some foods help to cleanse the teeth such as fibrous foods like celery, carrots, and apples.
- Dairy foods, like cheeses and yogurts are great options because foods containing dairy help to increase the flow of saliva and they are high in calcium.
- Limit sugary foods and drinks. A few on our “bad” list are:
- Fruit snacks
- Sticky candy like taffy
- Swedish fish
- Sour patch kids
- If you are going to offer pop and sugary drinks, it is best to only offer at meal times and to consume all in one sitting. Sipping all day long can cause even more damage to children’s teeth.
- It is always best to brush after every meal and snack, but if you are unable to have your children do that, then offer water and have them rinse their mouth really well.
- Allowing children to snack and drink all day long will cause more decay, especially if what is being offered is full of sugar or is a sticky food.
- Foods eaten at meal times have less of a chance of causing dental decay because more saliva is produced during this time.
- Saliva helps to move and wash food from the mouth. It decreases acids and sugars that cause cavities.
The EID dental team has been providing dental care for over 45 years. Doctors Mark Bentley, Charles Stevens, Julie Jones Heckman, Ryan Humphreys, and Zach Curtis are committed to educating parents and children on the importance of dental health and making a difference, one smile at a time.
