To grow well and stay healthy, kids need food from all the major food groups. However, too many sugars, starches, and savoury foods can cause tooth decay, especially if they remain on the teeth for a long time. This is where a family dentist in Toronto becomes so important in ensuring that your children’s teeth remain healthy and free of decay. Here are some nutritional tips for your children’s healthy teeth.
Keep plenty of fruit and vegetables in your fridge
Instead of giving your kids lots of carbohydrates, offer them healthy snacks with fruits and vegetables that contain a high volume of water like melons, pears, and cucumbers. Then after eating the fruits, make sure to urge your kids to brush. You can make the veggies and fruits more appealing to your little ones by preparing them in an attractive way like piercing them in barbecue sticks.
Avoid giving them sticky and chewy foods
Common examples of sticky and chewy foods are caramel, raisins, jelly beans, honey, syrup, and granola bars, making them stick to your teeth much longer and hard for your saliva to wash away. Your family dentist in Toronto will most likely advise that whenever your kids eat them, encourage them to brush their teeth right after.
Encourage your kids to eat a few snacks only
The time between meals is the time for saliva to wash away food particles that, if not taken away from the teeth, will result in plaque and tooth decay. With frequent snacks without brushing, your kids are fueling the bacteria on their teeth. So, try to limit the number of snacks for your kids as much as possible.
Prevent sugary foods that stay longer on teeth
Sugary and sweet foods are very mouth-watering for kids, especially lollipops, candies, mints, and cough drops. They consistently coat the teeth with sugar that feeds the bacteria. Thus, opt for foods that are unsweetened or sugar-free to avoid cavities.
Visit your family dentist regularly
Your child must make their first dentist visit within 6 months of the first tooth breaking out. Having him or her get regular dental checkups will help detect any dental issues early on.
Following these tips can help you take control of the food that gets into your children’s mouths. Apart from the professional help that a family dentist in Toronto provides, it’s still up to you as the parent to maintain your kids’ oral health.
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