Indulging in Healthy Foods for Better Dental Health
Feeding your kids can be difficult. They are usually picky with their food usually preferring junk food over the healthy food that they should be eating. Try bringing them to the grocery store and you’ll see them grabbing the sugary and starchy items instead of apples and oranges. This can be a disaster for children’s health; not to mention, their dental health.
You see, eating right is a huge factor in having a healthy set of teeth and bones particularly those foods containing calcium and other nutrients.
However, peer pressure, coming from friends and classmates, isn’t helping the cause of healthy eating. Picture this: You pack your child a healthy and delicious meal for lunch at school. But what your child sees peers eating can influence the way he or she eats. While your child takes a bite from an apple, the classmate is munching on junk food. Most likely, your child will drop the apple and feast on the classmate’s sugary food. What’s a parent to do?
Dr. Courtney Chinn, DDS, MPH, of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine acknowledges this predicament and stresses the fact that healthy food choices can have a significant effect on a child’s overall health, which includes the teeth and gums.
Dr. Chinn advises parents to keep kids away from snacks that stick to the teeth, which causes tooth decay and cavities. Sugary drinks should be minimized; milk and water are highly recommended. Stash only fruits and veggies at home so your child will be motivated to eat healthy foods only.