Pay Attention to Snack Quality and Quantity to Avoid Dental Disease
December 3, 2008 by rainier
According to the AAPD, children’s dental health depends less on what they eat than on how often they eat. Most foods contain sugars or starches that combine with Streptococcus mutans to form acid. This acid attacks the teeth for about 20 minutes. Repeated attacks can lead to tooth demineralization and cavities. For this reason, sugary or starchy food is safer if it is eaten with a meal, not as a snack.
The AAPD recommends that children snack no more than 3 or 4 times daily, and that the foods chosen contribute to the child’s overall nutrition. Children need good nutrition to help their bodies build strong teeth and resist decay and gum disease. Contrary to popular belief, cooked starches, such as those found in breads,crackers, and pretzels, may take even longer to leave the mouth than more sugary snacks, the AAPD says. Ideal snacks include vegetables, yogurt, peanut butter, and milk. Cheese is also an excellent snack, according to the AAPD, because it has properties that disrupt the development of cavities when eaten alone as a snack or at the end of a meal. The calcium and phosphorus in cheese reduce and prevent decreases in pH levels of saliva and promote tooth remineralization. Cheeses such as aged cheddar, Swiss, and mozzarella also stimulate the flow of saliva, which helps clear the mouth of food and neutralize acids.
Experts also suggest the following activities:
Invite a pediatric dentist to speak to parents and children. “There is a lot of information children can’t absorb entirely on their own,” says Dr Lewis. “If parents understand the objectives and the steps involved in what is being taught, they will be able to reinforce it at home.”
Take children on a field trip to a pediatric dental office. “Visiting a dental office gives children an excellent opportunity to see dental equipment and staff firsthand in a nonthreatening,educational atmosphere,” Dr Lewis says.
