6 dental health tips for your kids
Sugar and starches can lead to tooth decay
-Do you worry about your kids' dental hygiene? These six tips can help!
All kinds of foods can cause plaque, and plaque is what causes tooth decay. Foods high in sugar are just one source. Sticky foods and starches are another because they take longer than sugar to clear the mouth. Sticky foods with high sugar content are definitely the greatest cavity-promoting foods. The frequency of snacks and the amount of acid in the food are important, too. Eating too much and too often can cause dental damage.
- Avoid or limit high sugar foods and beverages and sticky starches. Eliminating all processed sugar is impossible to have your child brush, or at least, rinse with water after eating cookies and candy. At 6 months, accustom your baby to a little water in the bottle, especially before bedtime. Juice or milk pooling around teeth grows bacteria and promotes decay.
- Avoid or limit any sugars that stay in the mouth for long periods such as gum and hard candy. Raisins and other dried fruits stick to teeth and can cause cavities. The Baby Bottle Syndrome principle applies here. It is better to indulge your child in 3 cookies at one time rather than over a period of several "sugar bath" intervals that create acid damage.
- Choose low or no-sugar cereals such as oatmeal, Cheerios, Cream of Wheat/Rice and serve them without table sugar.
- Promote raw fruits and vegetables. Apples, pears, and carrots are "Nature's toothbrushes." They also brush their intestines.
- Limit acidic fruits like oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple. Fruit roll-ups and fruity snack foods do not count as a serving of fruit. These items may also stain the teeth.
- Serve 100% fruit juices fortified with vitamin C and limit total amounts. Natural fruit sugar is still better than added refined sugar in fruit drinks.
