Taking good care of your teeth is not only important for oral health, but your health in general.
You’ve taught your child the basics of dental hygiene: brushing teeth twice a day and flossing daily. The key to healthy teeth might be in your child’s lunchbox!
Food will really affect the condition of your child’s teeth. The following list of tooth-friendly foods should be incorporated into every meal, we’ve also listed what you should try and avoid!
Best Foods for healthier teeth.
Water with Fluoride
Drinking water with added fluoride is essential for the health of your child’s teeth from birth. All drinking water in the UK contains added fluoride, but some bottled varieties do not. It is always a good idea to check to make sure.
Apples
An apple a day could help prevent cavities! Crunching an apple and other, high-fibre fruits can scrub away plaque from teeth. As a bonus, this fruit is full of vitamins and minerals and makes an easy snack.
Eggs
Eggs are a superb source of calcium, protein, and vitamin D, important minerals for oral and of course general health. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, which builds and maintains strong, healthy teeth.
Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt
Milk, cheese, and yogurt are rich in calcium, casein, and phosphorus, these can protect tooth enamel. The nutrients in milk products can neutralize some of the acid produced by plaque forming bacteria.
Broccoli and Green Leafy Vegetables
Due to high levels of minerals and vitamins, green leafy vegetables can provide big benefits for oral health. Folic acid found in leafy greens such as kale, spinach and salad leaves will help improve the health of teeth and gums.
Celery and Carrots
Just like apples, these crunchy vegetables contain a lot of water and require a lot of chewing which can scrub tooth surfaces. The water and fibre in these vegetables neutralise the sugar content and help clean teeth. With celery being fibrous it also acts as a natural dental floss.
Nuts and Seeds
Both fab ‘Mouth-Friendly’ snacks! Foods with high levels of phosphorous and calcium such as peanuts, almonds and cashews protect teeth by replenishing those minerals.
Foods That can Cause Tooth Decay and Cavities
Sugary Drinks
Bacteria feed on the sugar left on your teeth after consuming ‘Sugar Rich’ food and drink. These organisms turn into acid, which destroys tooth enamel and causes decay.
Even ‘sugar-free’ diet drinks can destroy enamel with the acidic contained in the drink. While non-carbonated sports drinks may seem like healthy options, they are still acidic and extremely high in sugar.
Citrus Fruit and Juices
Citrus fruits are a good source of Vitamin C and nutrients, and they are good for you in many ways. However, grapefruit and lemon juice are highly acidic and can erode tooth enamel over time.
Choose to drink low-fat milk and water over juices if you want to help significantly reduce the risk of enamel decay.
Chewy Sweets.
Consuming lots of sugar is bad for tooth health, and sweet treats are full of it.
Extra chewy sweets such as toffee, caramel and fudge stick to teeth for a long time which can dissolve tooth enamel. Sweets that are chewy, sugary and acidic are the most damaging.
Choose dried fruits as a healthy snack but be aware that many dried fruits are also sticky and contain added sugar.
If children do eat sugary snacks, make sure they brush and rinse their teeth with water to clean the tooth surfaces and gums.
If in doubt – leave sugary food out!
Envisage Dental TV enables your practice to educate your clients whilst they’re sat in the waiting room. Click to preview our video content
Of ourse eating less sugar is part of an overall healthy eating plan recommended by the NHS and can lead to weight loss. A good source of information is the NHS website – click to view.
