Nutrition plays a significant role in optimum oral health. Eating a healthy diet that includes fruits and veggies protects against tooth decay by neutralizing the acids in your child’s mouth that cause it. Promoting healthy snacks and well-balanced meals helps them achieve excellent oral health.
Foods that are high in protein such as cheese, yogurt, nuts, and deli meat are also good snacks that don’t attract the bacteria as readily as foods high in carbohydrates, starches, and sugar such as chips, crackers, cookies, or bread. Carbohydrates convert to sugar and also tend to stick to small teeth longer than they should, which gives them the opportunity to promote tooth decay.
Avoid foods that are sticky, such as gummy candy, fruits snacks, and dried fruits should because they become embedded in the teeth and attract that cavity-causing bacteria to live in the mouth for longer periods of time.
When your child asks for that afternoon snack think of raw carrots, apple slices, or nuts as an alternative to the crackers and pretzels they usually eat. If you have more questions about your little one’s oral health or nutrition, please feel free to contact The Pass Pediatric Dental Group.