It is important to watch and track your kids’ diet and make sure it is integrated with all vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat; to make sure that child gets the best nutrition to develop and grow perfectly, but this can be hard sometimes; as kids don’t prefer eating healthy and they tend to consume a lot of candies, cookies, juices, chocolates, cakes and so on; and that they couldn’t stop themselves when it comes to sugar.
What are the different sources of sugars?
It is very easy to identify sugar in candies and cookies for example, but the challenge is to know other sources of sugar.
Sugar might be hidden in many products, here are some:
1- Breakfast Cereals (flavored oats, granola)
Although they sometimes claim it is sugar-free, cereals, oats and granola bars might be a big source of sugar.
2- Flavored Yogurts
Yogurt is undoubtedly extremely healthy, but most market brands are loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings.
3- Smoothies Smoothies are also known to be extremely wholesome and full of nutrients. However, many store-bought smoothies are loaded with sugars in addition to their natural constituents.
How does sugar affect your child’s teeth?
It only needs bacteria, sugar and tooth to form a cavity.
After consuming sugar-rich meals, bacteria adhere to the sugar directly in about 20 seconds, producing acid.
This acid attacks the enamel of the tooth, degrading it down. And cavities develop throughout time as a result of the bacteria and sugar interaction that causes tooth decay, and thus, other oral diseases. Another reason of developing cavities, is the decrease in the level of pH of mouth (increasing the acidity), when a lot of acidic foods and beverages, such as junk food, cakes, cookies, lemonade, soda, are consumed, the acidity level increases noticeably as the bacteria inside the mouth starts converting sugar into acid.
How can you protect your kid’s oral health?
Everyone should have proper dental hygiene and a complete oral routine, but kids who frequently consume too much sugar from their everyday foods and beverages need specific routine, extra care and periodic follow up.
Here are some suggestions to guard your child’s teeth from the damaging effects of sugar and keep them free from cavities and tooth decay:
1- Frequently brushing and flossing:
Perhaps the best technique to remove plaque and harmful germs from your mouth and teeth is to brush regularly.
Use the appropriate fluoride-based toothpaste for your children’s age and make sure that they wash their teeth at least twice daily, once in the morning and once before night, and if they ate lots of sugar.
Additionally, show your kids how to wash their teeth properly. Make sure they clean the front, back, and top of their teeth. The tongue also needs brushing to remove any clingy bacteria and food particles.
You can also teach your child to use dental floss to maintain integrated dental health.
2- Drinking a lot of water:
Drinking water is a highly efficient and easy approach to keep your mouth clean.
In addition to keeping the body hydrated, water is good for teeth and gums.
Encourage your kid to drink enough water after meals. This will wash away the harmful germs and acid that food -and especially high sugar-content food- create.
3- Eating Healthy and limiting sugar-rich foods and drinks:
Teach your kids the value of eating healthy, and work to develop good eating habits with them; you can encourage them to drink water instead of fizzy drinks and teach them to replace chocolates and candies with fruits and vegetables. Also, you can try find tasty alternatives, like popcorn,
zucchini chips, sweet potato chips, raisins, and so on.
4- Regular dental checkups: Through x-rays and physical examination, your dentist can identify problem areas before any discomfort begins, that’s why regular visits for the dentist are important as well.
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