Parents, developing good dental habits start with you. Your children rely upon your guidance when it comes to brushing, flossing and staying away from sugary foods and drinks.
As dentists who see many children each year, we thank you for all that you do in your effort to teach your child the importance of dental care. You make our jobs easier.
In turn, we have come up with ways to help you when it comes to fortifying healthy habits and teeth:
- Don’t put your child to bed with a bottle of milk, instead, use water in the bottle.
- Restrict fruit juice; water is the best drink between meals.
- Teething biscuits break down to form sugars.
- Read the labels; if sugar is listed first, it is the greatest single ingredient.
- Rinse with water after all meals and snacks.
- Avoid sugar-rich foods that stay in the mouth for a long time (gum and hard candy) and soft, sticky sweets that get stuck in the mouth (toffee, raisins, rolled-up fruit snacks or fruit leather).
- Place nutritious snacks (carrot sticks & cheese cubes) on the bottom shelf in the fridge; place small snacks (small boxes of cereal, fruit, vegetables, nuts or seeds) in a low cupboard.
- Eliminate sweets.
- Cheddar cheese fights tooth decay and is a nutritious snack.