Three Foods You Never Knew Were Hurting Your Kid's Teeth
Posted on: 24 March 2015
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A child's oral hygiene routine is pretty important. Most parents stress brushing twice a day and eating the right foods. It's obvious that foods like soda and candy are bad for your kid's teeth, but there are plenty of foods that might surprise you. Here's a look at three foods you never knew were hurting your kid's teeth.
Dried Fruits Fruits are considered to be pretty healthy for kids (or for anyone in general), but if they're dried out, they can quickly become a poor choice. Since they're so sweet, fruits are already high in sugar. Once the water is taken away, that sugar is even more concentrated. Removing the water also turns a smooth, juicy bite of fruit into a food that has a gummy texture similar to candy. Even worse, dried fruit is filled with non-soluble cellulose fiber, which can trap sugar on the teeth. When you have a food that is sugary to start with, make it sticky, and has qualities that trap even more sugar on the teeth, you're looking at something that can be worse than candy.
Starches
Starchy foods like white bread, potato chips, fries, pasta, and rice may not be high in sugar on their own, but they're still bad for a child's teeth. These foods become lodged between teeth pretty easily. If a child misses them when brushing, the starches in these foods very quickly break down into sugar. While they may not taste sweet, and may not have a lot of sugar on their own right, starchy foods are a quick way to deposit a large amount of sugar on young teeth.
Medications
Medications might be the last thing you would expect to have an impact on teeth, but it's true. Many prescription medicines (especially psychiatric treatments) leave the mouth incredibly dry. If you have a child that takes regular medicine, make sure they drink water or a special hydrating solution after they take it each time. A dry mouth can cause damage to the teeth and gums, and can actually increase the risk of developing gingivitis and tooth decay.
Of course, even if you make sure your child is eating the right foods, avoiding the wrong ones, and brushing every day, they'll still need to visit a dentist twice a year. A dentist at places like Pacific Ave Dental/Allan L. Hablutzel, DDS can see problems before they develop, and starting visits early can help calm fears later in life.