Diet and Snacking
(http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/snacking.asp) |
Q: What is a healthy diet for my
child?
A: A healthy diet is a balanced
diet that naturally supplies all the nutrients your child needs to grow. And
what's a balanced diet? One that includes the following major food groups every
day: Fruits and Vegetables; Breads and Cereals; Milk and Dairy Products; Meat,
Fish and Eggs.
Q: How does my child's diet affect
her dental health?
A: She must have a balanced diet
for her teeth to develop properly. She also needs a balanced diet for healthy
gum tissue around the teeth. Equally important, a diet high in certain kinds of
carbohydrates, such as sugar and starches, may place your child at extra risk
of tooth decay.
Q: How do I make my child's diet
safe for his teeth?
A: First, be sure he has a
balanced diet. Then, check how frequently he eats foods with sugar or starch in
them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and such snacks as
pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar bowl
and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugar, and all
types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables and most
milk products have at least one type of sugar.
Sugar can be found in many
processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet. For example, a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly, but may have sugar
added to the peanut butter. Sugar is also added to such condiments as catsup
and salad dressings.
Q: Should my child give up all
foods with sugar or starch?
A: Certainly not! Many provide
nutrients your child needs. You simply need to select and serve them wisely. A
food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it's eaten with a meal, not as
a snack. Sticky foods, such as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed
away from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. So, they have more cavity-causing
potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth. Talk to your
pediatric dentist about selecting and serving foods that protect your child's
dental health.
Q: Does a balanced diet assure
that my child is getting enough fluoride?
A: No. A balanced diet does not
guarantee the proper amount of fluoride for the development and maintenance of
your child's teeth. If you do not live in a fluoridated community or have an
ideal amount of naturally occurring fluoride in your well water, your child
needs a fluoride supplement during the years of tooth development. Your
pediatric dentist can help assess how much supplemental fluoride your child
needs, based upon the amount of fluoride in your drinking water and your
child's age and weight.
Q: My youngest isn't on solid
foods yet. Do you have suggestions for her?
A: Don't nurse your daughter to
sleep or put her to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, juice, or sweetened
liquid. While she sleeps, any unswallowed liquid in the mouth supports bacteria
that produce acids and attack the teeth. Protect your child from severe tooth
decay by putting her to bed with nothing more than a pacifier or bottle of
water.
Q: Any final advice?
A: Yes. Here are tips for your
child's diet and dental health.
1.
Ask your pediatric dentist to
help you assess your child's diet.
2.
Shop smart! Do not routinely
stock your pantry with sugary or starchy snacks. Buy "fun foods" just for
special times.
3.
Limit the number of snack times;
choose nutritious snacks.
4.
Provide a balanced diet, and
save foods with sugar or starch for mealtimes.
5.
Don't put your young child to
bed with a bottle of milk, formula, or juice.
If your child chews gum or sips
soda, choose those without sugar.
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