How important is diet to my childs oral health?
A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. A child’s diet should include the proper vitamins and minerals along with plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and healthy levels of fluoride. Fluoride is your child’s greatest protection against tooth decay. Frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many snacks like cookies, candies, dried fruit, soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit juices and potato chips combine with plaque on teeth to create acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. In addition to a full range of vitamins and minerals, a child’s diet should include plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and proper levels of fluoride. If fluoride is your child’s greatest protection against tooth decay, then frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many foods and snacks like cookies, candies, dried fruit, soft drinks, pretzels and potato chips combine with plaque on teeth to create acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and may lead to cavities. Each “plaque attack” can last up to 20 minutes after a meal or snack has been finished. Even a little nibble can create plaque acids. So it’s best to limit snacking between meals. What Should I Do if My Child Chips, Breaks or Knocks Out a Tooth? With any injury to your child’s mouth, you should contact your dentist immediately.
A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. In addition to a full range of vitamins and minerals, a child’s diet should include plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and proper levels of fluoride. If fluoride is your child’s greatest protection against tooth decay, then frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many foods like biscuits, sweets, soft drinks and even some savoury snacks are food for bacteria in dental plaque and are converted to acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and can lead to cavities. Each “plaque attack” can last up to 20 minutes after a meal or snack has been finished. Even a little nibble can create plaque acids. So it’s best to limit snacking between meals.
