Diet

The Importance of Your Diet for Your children’s Teeth

Knowing which foods and snacks are good for your child’s dental health and which are bad is a big factor in preventing tooth decay.  Good vs. Bad Snacks can be broken down into categories:

teeth friendly foods:

fruits and vegetables

Chewing Crunchy High Fiber fruits and vegetables can help scrub away plaque from teeth

  • Apples
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Green Leafy Vegetables
  • Melons (Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew…)
  • Bananas
  • Avocados 

DAIRY

Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium, phosphates and vitamin D

  • Milk
  • Cheese 
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Eggs

NUTS AND SEEDS

Nuts and seeds replenish minerals to the tooth enamel that acids remove

  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Whole Grains

WATER WITH FLUORIDE

Drinking water with Fluoride is important for the health and strength of your child’s teeth

Sugarless Gum – especially those with Xylitol

TEETH-DAMAGING FOODS

Highly Acidic Foods

When it comes to your teeth, acidic foods (foods with low Ph rating) could be extremely dangerous. Acids can erode your teeth’s enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay. 

  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Oranges
  • Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries…)
  • Pickles
  • Tomatoes
  • Grapefruit
  • Canned Fruits

Sticky/Chewy Foods and candies

Foods that tend to stick and stay attached to and between your teeth for a very long time. 

  • Fruit Snacks
  • Gummy Vitamins
  • Gummy Candy
  • Fruit Roll-ups

Starchy foods and Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates turn into sugars immediately in your mouth to kick-start the acid production by bad bacteria.

  • White bread
  • Potato chips
  • Crackers
  • Goldfish 

SUGARY DRINKS

The acids and sugar found in juice and carbonated drinks combine to cause damage to the enamel

  • Fruit Juice
  • Sports Drinks
  • Energy Drinks
  • Soda
  • Carbonated Beverages

DRIED FRUITS

Most dried fruits are very sticky and extremely high in sugar content.

  • Raisins
  • Craisins
  • Dried Fruits

THICKER CONSISTENCY FOODS

With higher sugars and acids from the fruits, it is very likely to sit around and in between your teeth for periods of time, causing eventual enamel breakdown

  • Fruit Yogurts
  • Syrups
  • Smoothies

Foods that Dry Out Your Mouth

Your best defense against oral health issues is saliva. Nature’s most powerful way to take care of your teeth is at hand to help your mouth stay healthy by washing away plaque and bringing back key minerals to your teeth. 

  • Coffee
  • Energy Drinks
  • Some Medicines (Asthma Medication)
  • Alcohol

It’s better to avoid substances that have an extremely negative effect on your overall health, but let’s face it, it’s gonna happen. the following principles will help your teeth and gums stay healthier:

  • Your mouth needs a rest, so don’t munch on snacks all the time. Leave sufficient time for your mouth to recover and for saliva to naturally replenish minerals to your teeth. Keep your food intake to 3-5 times a day and let your mouth rest between meals.  
  • To minimize the danger of some of the foods and drinks on this list (and remember some of them have health benefits as well) try to consume them as a part of a meal, rather than on their own.
  • Brushing after a meal is of course, always a great option. Just remember to wait 20 minutes if you’ve consumed highly acidic foods that have weakened your enamel.  Always best to brush after breakfast and before bed
  • If possible, always rinse your mouth with water after a meal and drinks lots of water throughout the day as well.
  • Use a straw when drinking highly acidic beverages to minimize their contact with your teeth.