Tooth-Friendly Snacks for Children
Children love snacks! Their active lifestyle and tiny tummies frequently prompt them to rummage through the fridge or kitchen cupboards in search of a snack. ” Nutritionists recommend that children eat every three to four hours to achieve their dietary requirements. Nowadays, most children eat cookies, candies, and soda to fill their empty stomachs. They are heavy in sugar, leading to dental problems, such as tooth decay.
Breakfast and an afternoon snack are necessities for the vast majority of children. However, are you making the right choice in the first place? Several “healthy” snacks are actually high in sugar, which can cause tooth disease. While sugary snacks may be irresistible, they’re bad for your child’s teeth because of the acid they contain.
Snack time doesn’t have to be boring when supporting your child’s dental health. Instead, you can use various tasty and nutritious options to keep your teeth healthy. In between meals, you can feed your children a variety of tooth-friendly snacks and beverages.
Here are five tooth-friendly snacks your child can munch on!
Tooth Friendly Snack #1: Cheese and Dairies
A diet rich in dairy products can significantly impact oral health. These items are rich in calcium, an essential mineral for the jawbone’s health. They also include phosphates and a protein called casein, which helps to strengthen tooth enamel (which reduces acidity in the mouth).
For your child’s healthy teeth, plain yogurt without any added sugar is the best option. It contains probiotics (healthy bacteria) that aid in the healing of oral sores, eradicating bad bacteria from the mouth, and promoting healthy gums in children. With its probiotics and calcium, yogurt can help keep your children healthy and prevent tooth decay and bad breath.
Tooth-Friendly Snack #2: Veggies and Fruits
Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables has several health benefits, including dental benefits. To assist dilute the sugars in your mouth, some of them contain water. Chewing crunchy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can help remove plaque from teeth and stimulate saliva production, which is beneficial for keeping the mouth clean. However, you should avoid citrus fruits such as oranges because of their high acid content, which can destroy teeth.
While, there is a significant water content in fresh fruits like apples and pears, which dilutes the fruit’s sugar concentration. The fruit’s chewy, fibrous flesh promotes saliva production, which guards against tooth decay by washing away food particles and acid buildup from the sugar.
Your youngsters should eat half of their daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Serve sliced apples, carrots, celery, and other crunchy fruits and vegetables to your children in between meals to keep them satisfied.
Tooth-Friendly Snack #3: Flavored/Fluoridated Water
Dissolving substances is one of the many properties of water. This is made easier by rinsing food particles away before they become bacteria-attracting plaque thanks to this characteristic. Tooth decay-causing acids are diluted by water. Fluoridated water gives additional dental health benefits. Fluoride aids in the natural remineralization of tooth enamel, ensuring that your children have healthy, cavity-resistant teeth. Ask your dentist about fluoride supplements if you don’t have fluoridated tap water in your home.
Tooth-Friendly Snack #4: Nuts
Nuts have long been a go-to, dependable, and satisfying mid-meal snack. Nuts aren’t just good for your taste buds; they also include several nutrients that are good for your teeth. For example, almonds and peanuts both contain a lot of calcium, which is essential for bone health (with peanuts also supplying complementary Vitamin D).
When it comes to tooth-friendly nutrients, cashews take the cake. When your kids eat cashews as a snack, they get zinc, potassium, iron, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E, and B vitamins like thiamine, folic acid, and vitamin B6.
Tooth-Friendly Snack #5: Whole-Grain Pita Chips
Tooth decay can occur due to popcorn kernels and bits being stuck between teeth. In addition, if you accidentally bite down on an unpopped kernel at the bottom of the bag, it can chip or crack your child’s tooth. The kernels of popcorn are particularly tough to extract from between the braces of your youngster if they are wearing braces.
Instead of salty popcorn, serve your kids whole-grain pita chips with sea salt and hummus, guacamole, or yogurt-based ranch dip as an alternative. Not only are these better for your teeth, but they’re generally better for your health as a whole.
Read more: 7 Benefits of Having a Family Dentist
Contact Junior Smiles of Stafford learn more about healthy snacks
If you are looking for tooth-friendly snacks for your little ones, be sure to check out the options below. And if you have any questions about what foods are best for your child’s teeth, don’t hesitate to contact a reputable pediatric dentist. They will be able to help you make sure that your child is getting the best care possible and keeping those pearly whites healthy and sparkling!
Why Choose Junior Smiles of Stafford?
Our Stafford, VA team is well-versed in working with clients of various ages and backgrounds. They’ll take the time to get to know you and your family’s requirements, and they’ll work with you to design a treatment plan that suits your schedule. Sealants and fluoride treatments are just two of the many preventative care options we provide to keep your mouth healthy.
About Us
Visiting Junior Smiles of Stafford means you’re in good hands when it comes to receiving high-quality care. Your child’s dental health improves with each visit, ensuring a brighter smile for years to come. We adhere to the ADA and AAPD’s guidelines for best practices.
Where Are We Located?
Phone: (540) 699-2441
Fax: (540) 699-2464
Email: info@juniorsmilesofstafford.com
Monday and Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesdays and Thursdays: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fridays and Saturdays: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (By appointment only)
How to Book Your Kids First Appointment at Junior Smiles of Stafford
Fill out the form on our website. Within 24 hours, a member of our team will get back to you.