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Diet & Snacking
Common Questions & Answers
Q: What is a healthy diet for my child?
A: A healthy diet is a balanced diet that naturally
supplies all the nutrients your child needs to grow.
And what’s a balanced diet? One that includes the
following major food groups every day: fruits &
vegetables; bread & cereals; milk & dairy products;
meat, fish & eggs.
Q:
How does my child’s diet affect his/her dental
health?
A: He/she must have a balanced diet for his/her
teeth to develop properly. He/she needs a balanced diet
for healthy gum tissue around the teeth. Equally
important, a diet high in certain kinds of
carbohydrates, such as sugar & starches, may place your
child at extra risk of tooth decay.
Q:
How
do I make my child’s diet safe for his/her teeth?
A: First, be sure he/she has a balanced diet. Then
check how frequently he/she eats foods with sugar or
starch in them. Foods with starch include breads,
crackers, pasta & such snacks as pretzels & potato
chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar
bowl & candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or
more types of sugar, & all types of sugars can promote
dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables & most milk
products have at least one type of sugar.
Q:
Should my child give up all foods with sugar
or starch?
A: Certainly not! Many provide nutrients your child
needs. You simply need to select & serve them wisely.
A food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it’s
eaten with a meal, not as a snack. Sticky foods, such
as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed away
from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. So, they have
more cavity-causing potential than foods more rapidly
cleared from the teeth. Talk to your one of our
dentists about selecting & serving foods that protect
your child’s dental health.
Q: Does a balanced diet assure that my child is
getting enough fluoride?
A: No. A balanced diet does not guarantee the
proper amount of fluoride for the development &
maintenance of your child’s teeth. If you do not live
in a fluoridated community or have an ideal amount of
naturally occurring fluoride in your well water, your
child needs a fluoride supplement during the years of
tooth development. One of our dentists can help assess
how much supplemental fluoride your child needs, based
upon the amount of fluoride in your drinking water &
your child’s age & weight.
Q:
My youngest child isn’t on solid foods yet.
Do you have suggestions for him/her?
A: Don’t nurse your son/daughter to sleep or put her
to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice or
sweetened liquid. While he/she sleeps, any unswallowed
liquid in the mouth supports bacteria that produce acids
& attack the teeth. Protect your child from severe
tooth decay by putting him/her to be with nothing more
that a pacifier or bottle of water.
Q:
Any final advice?
A: Yes, Here are tips for your child’s diet & dental
health.
1. Ask one of our dentists to help you assess your
child’s diet.
2. Shop smart! Do not routinely stock your pantry
with sugary or starchy snacks. Buy “fun foods” just for
special times.
3. Limit the number of snack times; choose
nutritious snacks.
4. Provide a balanced diet & save foods with sugar
or starch for mealtimes.
5. Don’t put your young child to bed with a bottle
of milk, formula or juice.
6.
If your child chews gum or sips soda, choose
those without sugar.
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