As a parent, you ensure that your children have the best oral health possible. While regular visits to the dentist and brushing twice daily are essential for keeping teeth healthy, diet plays an equally significant role in maintaining good dental hygiene.
Unfortunately, many of today’s most popular snacks can do more harm than good when protecting kids’ teeth. To help parents make better decisions about what food and drinks they should serve their children, here is a list of seven foods you should avoid giving them if you want to keep cavities away.
1) Hard candies
Hard candies are bad for your teeth because they coat your teeth with sugar when you eat them. This sugar can make cavities form in your teeth. They can also cause you to crack a tooth if you bite down too hard on one.
2) Chewy or sticky candy
Chewy and sticky candies are also filled with sugar and can stick to your teeth even longer than hard candy. The longer the sugar stays on your teeth, the higher the risk of cavities.
3) Starchy foods
Starchy foods like chips, crackers, pretzels, breadsticks, and popcorn are high in carbs that break down into sugars when they come into contact with saliva in your mouth. These sugars can lead to tooth decay if not removed promptly by brushing or flossing.
4) Sugary drinks
Sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, energy drinks, and juice contain a lot of sugar that can erode enamel and cause cavities.
5) Dried fruits
Dried fruits may seem like a healthy snack, but they contain high amounts of sugar, can stick to your child’s teeth, and increase their risk of cavities.
6) Ice
Chewing on ice cubes is terrible for your teeth because it can cause tooth enamel to wear down over time, leaving the sensitive inner layers exposed to decay-causing bacteria.
7) Citrus fruits
Fruits with citric acids, such as oranges, lemons, and limes, are acidic and can weaken tooth enamel if eaten in excess. This can lead to increased sensitivity or even erosion of the enamel, which increases the risk of cavities.
How to Prevent Cavities Before They Start
It’s important to ensure that you serve your children healthy foods and monitor their sugar intake. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking water instead of sugary beverages, and brushing your teeth twice a day can all help prevent child cavities.
By avoiding the foods on this list and taking other steps toward good oral health, you can ensure that your children will have strong, healthy teeth for years to come.
Don’t Forget to Brush After Every Meal
Of course, everyone is entitled to a cheat day now and then! No matter what your kids eat, brushing their teeth after every meal or sugary snack is essential. This will help remove any food particles stuck in their mouths and prevent cavities from forming. And make sure they’re using fluoride toothpaste to protect them against further decay.
By following these tips, you can help ensure that your children have the best dental health possible!
