Healthy Snacks = Healthy Teeth

Woodlawn Kids Dental weighs in on nutrition and snacks that impact children’s oral health. (Source: Cleveland Clinic, Nutrition and Your Child’s Dental Health, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10963-nutrition-and-your-childs-dental-health ).

When you talk about kids oral health, it is necessary to discuss nutrition too. Good nutrition and the right kind of foods help the child maintain oral health and a great smile. Cleveland Clinic experts point out that all major food groups must be included in the child’s diet. However, it is essential to know which ones can damage the kids oral health. Cleveland Clinic highlights the main culprit – carbs that stay on the teeth for too long.

Woodlawn Kids Dental children’s dentist agrees with this completely, elaborating, “Carbs remaining in the mouth, over the teeth surface prompt bacterial action. The bacteria eat away the enamel, the safe covering over the teeth. With this safety covering gone, the bacteria can now attack the teeth directly, damaging them and causing cavities. Excessive plaque requires professional dental cleaning to remove.”

What can you do about it? Cleveland Clinic experts offer solutions that can avert the need for dental cleaning. They suggest giving the child healthy snacks in place of carbs, which means fruits and vegetables. They underline the goodness of fruits and veggies with high water content.

Woodlawn Kids Dental adds, “Going for fibrous fruits can help not just with digestion but also your teeth. These clean your teeth and also improve saliva production, which is great for kids oral health. Good options for fibrous fruits are apples and oranges. With veggies too, look for fibre-rich ones like carrots or greens.” Children’s dentist points out that these have essential nutrients, plus they also help keep your teeth clean.

What to avoid is as important as what to eat, say Cleveland Clinic experts. They caution against sticky edibles like figs, granola bars, raisins, and honey. Since they are sticky, the saliva cannot completely wash them away when they coat the tooth. Again, only a thorough dental cleaning may help strip the teeth of these harmful foods.

According to Woodlawn Kids Dental children’s dentist, “If your kids have a craving for sweets, let them eat chocolate instead of sticky gums and candies. Chocolate satisfies the urge and washes out of the mouth far more easily.”

The timing of sweet foods also matters a lot. Cleveland Clinic experts point out that post-dinner saliva production is high. Any sugary stuff being eaten at this time may be washed away more easily. If your child craves sweets, post-dinner is a good time.

Woodlawn Kids Dental has a helpful tip you can use with your children. “Choose fruit-based desserts like fruit custards or fruit milkshakes. Ensure the child rinses out their mouth right away after having the dessert. Of course, pre-bedtime kids oral care hygiene routine is mandatory and must never be overlooked,” they caution.

Simply replacing sodas with water can be very helpful in preventing cavities, says the Cleveland Clinic. “Make water more palatable by chilling it in the fridge in the summer. You can also switch to unsweetened fruit juices that are less harmful than sodas,” says Woodlawn Kids Dental. Paying attention to kids oral care and ensuring that the child brushes and flosses correctly is critical, they say.

Contact Woodlawn Kids Dental today to know more about appropriate kids oral care!