When it comes to keeping your child’s teeth strong and stable, it’s important to serve them the best foods for a healthy smile. We’re all familiar with the basics: brushing twice a day, flossing, and bringing them to visit the dentist, but did you know that what your child eats could be altering the health of your smile? Here are the top 3 foods to include in your little one’s diet and the top 3 foods to avoid altogether.
3 Best Foods for Your Child’s Smile
Be sure to include vitamin rich foods that can help repair tooth enamel in their diet.
Fiber-Rich Fruits and Vegetables
High fiber foods are great for your child’s mouth. They naturally scrub teeth while your little one chomps down on their yummy food, creating a more natural saliva flow. Creating more natural saliva is beneficial to your child’s oral health because it neutralizes acids, contains natural calcium, and also embodies natural phosphates that help rebuild necessary minerals. Include lots of foods like apples, carrots, and celery to clean plaque off your child’s teeth and keep their breath fresh.
Make Sure They’re Drinking Water!
Speaking of high water levels, when it comes to oral health, water is unmatched. It’s the primary component to saliva, which is important in keeping your child’s teeth and gums healthy.
Nuts are Full of Vitamins
Many nuts provide vitamins and minerals that help your teeth. These include peanuts that have high levels of calcium and vitamin D, almonds that are full of calcium, and cashews that stimulate saliva flow. Walnuts are one of the best nuts to snack on because they have high levels of fiber, folic acid, iron, thiamine, magnesium, iron, niacin, vitamin E, vitamin B6, potassium, and zinc. Sneak them into your kid’s food if they don’t particularly have a taste for them naturally.
3 Worst Foods for Your Child’s Teeth
The more you can avoid adding acid and sugar to their diet, the stronger their teeth will be. Avoid these foods.
Candies
The stickier the candy, the worse it is for the mouth. Taffies and caramels may taste yummy, but they stick to and in between your child’s teeth for a long time. The sugars deteriorate teeth and build bacteria.
Sodas
Soda can make children bounce off the walls because of their high sugar and caffeine content.. Drinking too much can turn your mouth into a breeding ground for cavities. Not only that, but dark sodas also have staining properties that will discolor your child’s teeth overtime.
Starches and Carbs
Chips, bread, pasta, and crackers can be just as harmful to your child’s teeth as candy! Starches created from white flour are considered to be “simple carbs.” These linger in your little one’s mouth and break down into simple sugars. Once dental bacteria mixes with these sugars it will turn into harmful acid.
If you follow this general guide when creating your child’s meals throughout the week, they will be getting the nutrients they need while keeping their smile strong.
About Our Office
As a pediatric dental office, Castle Rock Smiles knows how important it is to keep children’s teeth healthy from the very start. If you’re interested in having your little one’s teeth professionally cleaned and examined, feel free to call our dental office.
