Any parent knows that children are woefully careless when it comes to the food and drinks they consume and how those foods and drinks can affect their teeth. If it were up to most kids, it would be Halloween every day of the year, and they would drink soda and eat candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not bat an eye about ignoring their dental hygiene before bed. People aren’t born understanding good oral hygiene; it is something that has to be taught to them throughout their lives, which is why there are certain foods you need to make sure your children understand are not good for their teeth. Below are 4 of the worst foods for your kids’ teeth.
Carbonated beverages and sugary drinks
In addition to an unhealthy amount of sugar, carbonated beverages and sodas contain things like phosphoric and citric acid. These enamel-eroding substances, over time, wreak havoc on teeth. A diet filled with carbonated beverages is likely to do damage to teeth, especially young teeth, which are not fully formed and more susceptible to enamel erosion and damage.
Sticky candy
Sticky candy like taffy and toffee ingrain themselves into the grooves of the teeth and remain there for a long time. They can even be quite difficult to fully brush out. These are most likely encountered during holidays and times of the year like Halloween. Anything sweet (whether it is a drink or a candy) should be making contact with the teeth for as little time as possible while in the mouth.
Dried fruit
While raw fruit like grapes, apricots, and plums are considered part of a healthy diet, when they are dried, they quickly become dangerous to teeth. Raisins, prunes and things like dried apricots become like sticky candies once dried, and their sugar levels are concentrated. The fruit is loaded with non-soluble cellulose fibre, which acts as a sealant on teeth, trapping sugar, and is capable of causing a lot of damage.
Starchy foods
Foods like white bread, potato chips, french fries, and al dente pasta, while not high in sugar, are easily trapped in between the teeth, and the starch can quickly start to convert into sugar as the food remains trapped in the mouth. These foods are notoriously hard to brush away and are often overlooked simply because their sugar content is thought to be quite low.
Helping your kids take care of their teeth is part of the job of being a parent. Teaching your kids what they should eat in moderation and what they should strive to stay away from will set them up for good oral health throughout the rest of their lives. Keep the above foods and beverages in mind and ensure that you are helping your kids look after their teeth while they are young so that they can continue to do so when they become adults.