It is never too early to teach your kids about ideal oral hygiene. Getting them to focus on their brushing can be a fun activity, which will also make sure that their baby teeth and adult teeth grow correctly. But it isn’t just oral hygiene, which can have a significant impact on the health of your kid’s teeth—their diet can also determine how healthy their teeth are.
Having a healthy diet has so many benefits for your child’s overall development, as well as their long-term health. In this post, we will take a look at what to eat for healthy teeth.
Apples
An apple a day may indeed keep the doctor away, but it also keeps cavities away. Apples are high in vitamins and minerals, so they are great for your kid’s overall health. But what makes them particularly useful is that chewing apples can help to remove plaque from the teeth.
Dairy
Dairy products, such as cheese and milk, are high in calcium, which strengthens teeth. But they are also rich in other nutrients that minimize the effects of bacteria attaching itself to food particles by encouraging the production of saliva, which washes away food particles.
Eggs
Eggs work well alongside dairy products, as they are full of protein and vitamin D, as well as calcium. The vitamin D helps to absorb calcium, ensuring that your child has strong and healthy teeth.
Carrots
Kids love sugary snacks, but, as you know, these snacks are bad for the teeth. A great alternative is carrot sticks. They are crunchy and nutritious and work in much the same way as apples. Carrots have a high vitamin A content, which helps strengthen the teeth, and they also contain keratin, which plaque hates.
Broccoli
Broccoli and green leafy vegetables are fabulous sources of many essential nutrients and also work to scrape away plaque from the surfaces of the teeth. They are also high in folic acid, which helps to maintain the overall health of the teeth and the gums.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of energy for older kids, and they also help to protect the teeth. Almonds and cashews are high in calcium and phosphorus, helping to restore minerals in the teeth. Sunflower seeds are another fantastic source of folic acid, which reduces inflammation in the gums.
Foods to Avoid
You should always make sure that your child has a balanced diet that doesn’t include lots of processed food and artificial sweeteners. It is okay to let your kids have potato chips and candy as a treat, but junk food shouldn’t form the basis of their diets. That is because a lot of these foods are high in sugar and other acids that attack the enamel of the teeth. Foods that your dentist will definitely advise you to avoid include:
- Bubble gum and chewy candy
- Potato chips
- Sugary drinks
- Starchy foods, such as white bread and pasta