Dental Health 101: Your Kids Diet And Their Teeth

Posted on January 22, 2021

It’s no secret that your diet affects your oral health. Luckily, your childrens dentist can help you to design a healthy diet for your child that promotes good oral health. About 40% of children have their first cavity before they even start kindergarten, many of whom gained cavities through a poor diet.

Cavities are one of the most prevalent childhood illnesses. The right diet can help to reduce the risk of cavities and the pain that comes along with them.

Diet, Dentist Visits, and Oral Hygiene

There are three very important factors for instilling good oral health habits in children: what they eat, early professional oral health care, and oral hygiene. Visiting the childrens dentist two times a year, eating oral health friendly foods, and encouraging good oral hygiene can help to set your child up for a lifetime of good oral health.

The good news is that these three rules are easy to follow. If you make it a habit as soon as their teeth erupt, there’s a good chance your child will adopt these habits for the rest of their life.

Infancy

By the time your child reaches about one year of age, you should already have that appointment made with the childrens dentist Pembroke Pines parents trust. Early care can help offset the potential for future problems.

You should also do the following to ensure that you are protecting your child’s baby teeth:

• Clean your child’s teeth. Before they are old enough to manage their own oral health care, you will have to do it for them. You can use a soft cloth that is damp to wipe a young child’s teeth. Introduce a toothbrush with soft bristles around eight months of age.
• Never let your baby sleep with a bottle in their mouth. Bottle tooth decay is a condition that occurs when a baby sleeps with a bottle in their mouth. This can cause oral health problems down the line.
• Do not let your baby drink fruit juice from a bottle before bedtime. Fruit juices are very high in sugar. Wait until your baby is old enough to manage a sippy cup to offer any type of juice.

Starting early on with a tooth-healthy diet will give your baby the best opportunity for good oral health.

Toddlers and Beyond

Instead of cookies and other sugary treats, keep fresh fruit in the fridge for quick, nutritious snacks. Crunchy veggies like carrot sticks and celery are a great option to satisfy that need to snack without introducing foods that are known to promote decay.

Soda, fruit juices, and other sugary drinks should be off the menu. Even drinks like iced tea are not a good idea. Encourage drinking water. Water not only does not harm the teeth, but it can also flush away any food particles that might get stuck between the teeth.

Include foods that are rich in calcium to help build strong bones and teeth. Some calcium-rich foods include:

• Processed cheeses
• Whole milk
• Broccoli

A dentist for kids can help you to design a diet that will ensure that your child is getting what they need to enjoy good oral health.

Consult with a dentist for children early on to learn more about preventive measures you can take to help protect your child’s teeth. Pediatric dentists are your best resource for tooth-healthy diet tips.