WHY DOES MY CHILD’S DIET MATTER?

Good nutrition leads to good health and good teeth. Poor nutrition and a diet rich in sweets and soda leads to poor health and poor teeth. Children should eat balanced meals rich in fruits and vegetables and should limit sweets. If you are going to give your child a sweet, the best time to do so is right after a well balanced meal. Sticky sweets are not as good as a sweet that is rapidly eliminated from the mouth. More frequent snacking is associated with a higher incidence of dental decay and obesity.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET FOR MY CHILD?

A healthy diet is a balanced diet that naturally supplies all the nutrients your child needs to grow. A balanced diet is one that includes the following major food groups every day: Fruits and vegetables; breads and cereals, milk and dairy products, meat, fish and eggs. Limit processed foods and promote fresh vegetables and fruits.

HOW DOES MY CHILD’S DIET AFFECT HIS/HER HEALTH?

A balanced diet is important for the proper development of teeth and for healthy gums. A diet that is high in certain kinds of carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, may place your child at extra risk of tooth decay.

HOW DO I MAKE MY CHILD’S DIET SAFE FOR HIS/HER TEETH?

First, be sure that he or she eats a balanced diet. Limit foods with simple sugars or starch. Foods with starches include breads, crackers, pasta, pretzels and potato chips. Sugars can be found in many processed foods, even some which do not taste sweet. For example a peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly but may also have sugar added to the peanut butter. Sugar may also be added to condiments such as ketchup and salad dressings. Encourage your child to eat complex carbohydrates, including vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

SHOULD MY CHILD GIVE UP ALL FOODS WITH SUGAR OR STARCH?

Of course not. Many provide nutrients your child needs. You need to select and serve them wisely. A food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it is eaten with a meal and not as a snack. Sticky foods such as toffee or dried fruit are not easily washed off the teeth by saliva. Sticky foods have more cavity causing potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth.

DOES A BALANCED DIET ASSURE THAT MY CHILD IS GETTING ENOUGH FLUORIDE?

A balanced diet does not guarantee that your child is receiving the proper amount of fluoride for the development and maintenance of his/her teeth. Your child may need fluoride supplementation during the years in which teeth form. Check with your pediatric dentist to see whether your child needs additional fluoride.

MY YOUNGEST CHILD IS NOT ON SOLID FOODS YET. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Do not nurse your child to sleep or put him or her to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice or sweetened liquid. While your child sleeps, any unswallowed liquid in the mouth supports bacteria that produce acids and cause cavities. Protect your child from severe decay by putting him or her to bed with nothing more than a bottle of water.

ANY FINAL ADVICE?

Yes. Shop smart. Limit the purchase of sugary or starchy food. Limit junk food snacks. Provide a balanced diet and save foods with sugar or starch for mealtimes. Do not put your child to bed with a bottle containing anything other than water. Limit chewing gum and soda.

 

 

 

 

 

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