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A healthy snack is always a great addition to any diet, but some healthy foods are terrible for teeth. Try limiting these damaging “healthy” foods in your child’s diet to help them maintain a healthy smile.

1 - Trail Mix

A fantastic substitute for unhealthy snack foods is trail mix. But, be careful! If you decide to serve your child trail mix, look out for unhealthy ingredients that can add unhealthy amounts of sugar and fat to their plate. Try to avoid trail mix that has chocolate, dried fruit, and candy. Look for mixes that are unflavored and don’t contain any added sweets.

2 - Dried Fruit

Fruit is always great, right? Wrong! Dried fruit is a food that you should avoid if you’re trying to improve your child’s oral health. Dried fruit contains much higher levels of sugar than their natural counterparts, and none of the water that helps make fruit so healthy. Let’s use prunes as an example. Prunes are just dried plums, except just one cup of prunes contains more than 400 calories and 45 grams of sugar. However, one plum contains just 75 calories and 16 grams of sugar. The bottom line is that you should choose fresh fruit and not dried fruit.

3 - Citrus Fruits

Fruit can be great for improving health, but it can sometimes damage teeth. Citric fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemon and tangerines have a high amount of acid in them which can lead to tooth enamel erosion. If you serve your child citrus fruits, rinse their mouth out with water after they’re done eating to wash the acid away, and help prevent cavities from forming.

4 - Granola 

Granola is typically advertised as a healthier alternative to cereal that people can add into their milk or yogurt for an added dietary benefit. But here’s what they’re not advertising: granola typically contains high amounts of sugar and fat. The added sugar can lead to tooth decay, and the high density of calories can leave your child hungry and cause them to overeat.  

If you do choose granola, compare the nutritional values of your options and choose the one with the highest fiber content, and lowest amount of sugar.

Try Cheese or Fibrous Fruits! 

Cheese is high in calcium, which promotes strong teeth. But the benefits of cheese don’t end there. It also contains a protein called casein, which strengthens tooth enamel and helps to prevent cavities. Cheese also helps prevent acid from destroying tooth enamel.

Fibrous fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, celery and nuts are fantastic snacks that are healthy for teeth. That’s because the fibrous nature of these foods allow them to scrub teeth as they’re eaten, which cleans teeth of damaging sugar and acid buildup on the tooth’s surface.

A healthy, luminous smile is something that everyone values. Here’s some of the best ways for your child (and you) to earn healthier, whiter teeth without having to get expensive bleaching treatment.

What Causes Tooth Discoloration? 

There are a few things that cause tooth discoloration in children. Extrinsic discoloration (discoloration of the outer layer of tooth) is the most common form of tooth discoloration, and it’s caused by drinking sugary beverages or cola, and eating food that stains teeth. Age related tooth discoloration is caused by chips in teeth or any damage to the tooth pulp, which discolors the dentin. 

1 - Drink More Water 

Water helps naturally keep teeth clean by rinsing sugar and food debris off of the surface of teeth, which fuels cavity-growth by providing bad bacteria with the fuel it needs to spread and cause tooth decay and cavities. Water also helps keep saliva production steady, which naturally cleans teeth and combats halitosis.

2 - Avoid the Causes of Tooth Discoloration 

One of the best ways for your child to keep a whiter smile is by avoiding the causes of tooth discoloration. Try to limit or cut back entirely on highly acidic foods and drinks, sugary beverages like cola or sweetened coffee drinks, tomato sauce and dark juices. All of these foods can discolor teeth, and lead to a less luminous smile.

3 - Brush and Rinse after Every Meal 

You can empower your child to fight tooth decay and get a healthier smile by helping them get into a proper oral health routine, which means brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flossing once per day. A healthy brushing routine helps keep the surface of teeth clean by removing food debris and any small stains from the prior meal. Flossing helps remove food from the hard-to-reach areas between teeth, which account for 1/3 of the total surface area of teeth.

When Should My Child Begin Whitening?

Your child shouldn’t use any teeth-whitening product on their teeth until their final adult tooth has emerged – which is usually around age 12 or 13. Additionally, your child needs to wait until their enamel has fully calcified BEFORE beginning any whitening treatment, which usually takes 2 years after an adult tooth emerges. If your child uses a whitening treatment before their adult teeth come in, then they risk breaking down their tooth enamel and damaging their gum tissue.

Visit Our Office 

Before beginning any whitening treatment at home, it’s best to consult with your child’s pediatric dentist first. If your family doesn’t have a pediatric dentist, then visit our office. We treat children of all ages, and help empower families to earn healthier smiles every day. 

Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease—5 times more common than asthma, 4 times more common than childhood obesity, and 20 times more common than diabetes. But, cavities are nearly entirely preventable and treatable. Here’s some common causes for cavities, and how to defeat cavities.  

Poor Dietary Choices 

One of the primary ways parents can help prevent cavities in their children’s mouth is by providing them with a healthy diet. Many parents understand the overall importance of a healthy diet, but are unaware of some dietary habits that could also increase their child’s cavity risk.

When preparing your child’s diet, try to incorporate as many nutrient-rich foods as possible. Focus on adding whole grains, healthy proteins like beans and nuts, and fibrous vegetables like carrots and celery – which clean teeth as they’re consumed. Also, substitute the majority of their drinks with water, which naturally cleans teeth by stimulating saliva production. Allowing children to sip on sugary beverages over long periods of time increases their exposure to sugar, and acid attacks that can erode their enamel. 

Inadequate Oral Hygiene 

It seems like a no-brainer, but you can help your child avoid cavities by simply following a proper oral healthcare routine. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists says that children should brush for two minutes at a time, twice per day, and floss once per day. When flossing, make sure that your child flosses both sides of their teeth and below the gum line. If they have difficulty flossing, then you can help them by getting them floss picks, or dental tape – which is wider and easier for children to use. You can help your child establish a routine by brushing with them, or finding some fun oral health videos online that makes brushing fun. 

Knowledge Gaps  

When it comes to healthcare, there are many knowledge gaps for parents on a variety of subjects – and that includes pediatric dentistry. The best place for parents to find reliable oral healthcare information is at their pediatric dentist’s office. Pediatric dentists have been specifically trained to care for children’s teeth, and understand the unique needs of a developing mouth.  

Cavities are Almost Completely Preventable  

Cavities do not directly cause other disease, but they do leave you more susceptible to other illnesses and infections. Despite the prevalence of cavities, there’s good news: cavities are nearly 100% preventable. You can prevent cavities by brushing twice per day for 2 minutes at a time, and flossing once per day. Additionally, you can take dietary actions to help prevent cavities.

2019 is almost here, and it’s time to share our favorite mouth healthy habits that will help your family achieve oral health in the new year!

1 – Establish and Maintain a Proper Oral Health Routine 

Food debris left on your child’s teeth encourages bacteria growth that eats away at enamel and causes cavities. This is why it’s important to have a steady, consistent oral health routine. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends children brush twice per day, for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day to clean debris from the hard-to-reach areas of their teeth. A proper oral health routine is the best way to keep a mouth clean, and prevents a lot of oral health ailments. 

2 – Drink More Water – Seriously

Water is a fantastic tool in the fight against bad bacteria and tooth decay. Water is not acidic, and does not harm teeth at all. In fact, it improves saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth of debris and restores the mouth back to a healthy ph balance. Try giving your child more water instead of sugary drinks to help keep their teeth strong and healthy.  If they must have juice or a sweeter drink, water it down so that they aren’t consuming too much sugar at one time.

3 - Eat a Mouth-Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is critical to getting a healthy mouth. Mouth-healthy foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and calcium-rich items can all strengthen teeth. When buying fruit and vegetables, make sure that you purchase them in their full-forms, and that you don’t buy fruit packaged in sugary syrup. Try adding fibrous vegetables like celery, spinach or carrots to your child’s diet, since fibrous food naturally scrubs teeth clean of food debris, and combats bad bacteria buildup.

4 - Replace Worn Out Toothbrushes

It can be difficult to know when to replace your child’s old toothbrush with a new one. But, there are some signs that indicate it’s time for a change. If your child’s toothbrush bristles are frayed, or pluming outward, then it’s time for a new toothbrush. If your child recently had an illness, then it’s best to replace their toothbrush to prevent the spread of unhealthy bacteria. Finally, a good rule of thumb to follow is to replace your child’s toothbrush after 3 months of use.

Stay Mouth Healthy Next Year 

One of the best ways to keep your children’s oral in order is by scheduling an appointment with our office every six months for a routing oral checkup and cleaning. The holidays are the perfect time for an appointment since most children have an extended break from school.