Healthy Foods That Create Healthy Oral Health
Creating good oral health habits in their children is the goal of most parents. As parents, you spend a lot of time teaching proper brushing and flossing and ensuring you keep pediatric dentist appointments. But some parents miss a critical but easy step that can help them on this journey. Certain foods you can incorporate into your children's diet will help achieve healthy oral health. Here are a few to consider.
Cheese
Have you ever noticed that you usually see cartoon mice with big healthy-looking teeth? One of the reasons could be that cheese, or one of the mouse's preferred foods, is one of the best foods for healthy teeth.
Cheese is low in sugar and very high in calcium which is an essential mineral for strong teeth and bones. Calcium also protects and strengthens your teeth's enamel which helps prevent decay. When calcium is in your child's saliva, it and fluoride can also help repair acid-damaged locations.
Cheese also contains tooth-fortifying casein and phosphate, which balances out the PH in their mouth. Chewing cheese increases your child's saliva flow which helps to flush the bacteria from their mouth.
Nuts
Another great snack to add to your child's cheese is nuts. Nuts are packed with essential nutrients and vitamins. Peanuts and almonds are excellent sources of calcium.
Almonds, brazil nuts, and cashews contain phosphorus that fights bacteria. Walnuts are rich in nutrients, from fiber folic acid, magnesium, iron, and niacin, to vitamins B6 and vitamin E. Eating nuts helps scrub your child's teeth and gums and stimulate their saliva flow.
Crunchy Vegetables
Introducing raw crunchy vegetables to your child's diet can be a great way to promote healthy oral health. The increased amount of chewing the vegetables require cleaning your child's teeth surfaces and stimulating their saliva flow. Some of the best crunchy vegetables to introduce to your child's diet include the following:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
Many raw fruits are also beneficial, especially apples and pears. These hard, fibrous fruits taste good, can help clean your child's teeth, and can help neutralize citric and malic acid in their mouth.
While you want to encourage raw fruits, avoid fruit juices. Many juices on the market have very low fruit content and very high sugar content.
Sugar-Free Gum
Sugar-free gum is not a healthy food. But if you are away from home and your child has just finished a sugary food or beverage, consider following up with a sugar-free gum containing Xylitol. The gum will help clean your child's teeth and increase their saliva production, which will help rinse the bacteria from their mouth.