One of your most important jobs as a parent is making sure your kids grow up healthy and strong. This means feeding them balanced meals and snacks that are good for their bodies and teeth.
Why a balanced diet is good for oral health?
The food you feed your kids supplies them the essential nutrients and vitamins their bodies need to renew and fight infections and disease continually. Feeding your kids a diet rich in vitamins and low in sugar is vital for tooth decay prevention, keeping their bodies healthy and their brains alert and ready to learn.
Dentist recommendations for children’s snacks
If your children are too hungry after school to wait for dinner, feed them snacks that are good for their health. Offering some of these snacks will tide them over and are great for kids’ teeth and health.
• Crunchy fruits and vegetables: chewing crunchy food isn’t just satisfying; it’s also a great way to help remove plaque from your teeth. The crunchier, the better, so go for apples, carrot sticks and celery.
• Milk, yogurt and cheese: dairy products contain nutrients that can neutralize some of the acids produced by plaque bacteria.
• Leafy green vegetables: while it may be hard to get your kids to eat leafy greens like kale or broccoli, these foods contain folic acid, which has been shown to benefit gum and tooth health.
• Nuts and seeds: these have natural fats to coat the teeth and protect them from plaque build-up and oils that strengthen enamel and make teeth more resistant to cavities.
Some healthy foods aren’t great for teeth
You probably already try to avoid giving your kids candy and sweets regularly, but even some healthy foods aren’t great for their teeth. Limit your children’s citrus fruits intake because they contain acids that can erode tooth enamel, and dried fruit because their sticky texture clings to teeth the same way some candies do.
When they eat is also important
It’s not just about what you feed your kids that benefit their oral health but also when you feed them. It’s best to limit snacks and only eat at meal times because more saliva is produced when eating a full meal than snacking. Saliva helps keep teeth clean and prevents tooth decay and gum disease.
Family dentistry in Edmonton
If you’re worried about your family’s oral health, bring them to the children’s dentist at Northgate Dental Centre. We’re equipped to take even the youngest patients and can introduce them to healthy dental habits. Call us today for an appointment.
