Healthy Diet Tips for Oral Care of Children: Foods to Eat & Avoid

Importance of a Healthy Diet for Children’s Oral Health

Children must have a healthy diet to protect their teeth and gums from decay and other dental problems. All good foods are included in good nutrition, and healthy choices encourage excellent dental health.

When growing, children need all major food groups for proper growth and to remain healthy. For example, having too many carbohydrates from foods like milk, candies, cookies, and other sweetened foods and beverages besides savories results in tooth decay because carbohydrates prevent in the mouth for too long.

List of Healthy Foods to Have for Children’s Dental Health

Here is a list of healthy foods our dentist in Pflugerville recommends for kids’ good oral health:

1) Apples, Carrots, Celery, and Cucumbers

These foods are excellent for your child’s teeth. The crunchy and crisp varieties help clean leftover dental plaque in children’s mouths. The fiber content in apples encourages saliva production, and the stringy nature of celery helps floss children’s teeth. Children generally enjoy a couple of snacks during the day in the morning and the afternoon. Foods and vegetables make appropriate healthy snacks for children’s dental health.

2) Melons, Strawberries, and Pears

The foods mentioned are rich and water, making them fantastic options to boost good oral health and hydration in children. Eating fruits like melons provides children with potassium, vitamin C, and lycopene which are excellent for heart and bone health and can minimize the risk of gum disease. When having fruits with high sugar content, children’s teeth need brushing after snacking. Brushing after having fruits like bananas, mangoes, figs, raisins, and cherries is beneficial.

3) Eggs

Eggs offer an excellent source of proteins, vitamin D, and phosphorus. Vitamin D in eggs helps the body to absorb additional calcium, making eggs a perfect choice to support strong and healthy teeth.

4) Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese

Dairy options help promote stronger teeth with better protection. The foods achieve the goal by delivering a healthy serving of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus. In addition, saliva production increases in the mouth by eating cheese to help remove food particles trapped between teeth and prevent cavities. Sugar-free yogurt rich in healthy bacteria helps improve stomach and oral health by inhibiting harmful bacteria. It is an excellent alternative to ice cream because of its lower sugar content.

5) Water

Drinking water is excellent for children’s health. The water helps flush toxins and food particles remaining in the mouth. Most importantly, it keeps children hydrated and provides fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities.

6) Seeds and Nuts

Proteins and healthy fat are delivered to children by seeds and nuts, which also provide the additional mineral that helps support tooth enamel. Seeds and nuts provide phosphorus and calcium essential for good oral health.

7) Leafy Greens

Vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that help protect tooth enamel are aplenty in leafy greens, which also contain folic acid for reducing inflammation that results in gum disease. Therefore children must receive encouragement to have leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, et cetera

List of Harmful Foods for Children’s Dental Health

Our pediatric dentist in Pflugerville suggests children mustn’t have some foods harmful to their oral health. A list of these foods is provided below for your reference:

1) Candies

Candies are harmful to teeth and gums because of their high sugar content. Hard candies result in cavities when children suck on them, and the candy produces a sugar coating on children’s teeth. Chewy candies are also harmful because they stick to the teeth to cause enamel erosion. In addition, the sticky substance from sweets gets into the difficult to reach areas of the mouth difficult to reach when brushing. During dental exams, our children’s dentist near North Austin examines your child’s teeth looking for dental plaque buildup. When reviewing their mouth, the dentist cleans the hidden crevices on children’s teeth.

2) Citrus Fruits

If you think citrus fruits are natural and be had without restrictions, you are sadly mistaken. Fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are acidic, making them harmful to children’s teeth. In addition, enamel erosion is high in children having excessive citrus fruits.

3) Sugary Beverages

Habitually consuming sugary beverages also leads to enamel erosion and cavities. Sugary beverages include sports drinks and fruit juices containing added sugars. Carbonated beverages also contain higher sugar levels and acids, potentially damaging teeth and gums.

Visit a Pediatric Dentist Near You

Our kid’s dentist in Pflugerville suggests that the worst foods for children can damage their tooth enamel, making them susceptible to infections like tooth decay, cavities, and periodontal disease. Therefore to prevent unnecessary complications and expenditure besides protecting children’s teeth, parents are advised to focus on avoiding these foods as much as possible and encouraging children not to have them.

If your child is stubborn and has some harmful foods detrimental to their oral health, a visit to The Grand Family Dental can help sort out the problem confronting you as a parent and your child with information about a healthy diet for a kid’s oral care. Consult our practice to encourage good oral care habits in your child to benefit their teeth and gums.