Teeth serve a host of functions from influencing your facial appearance all the way down to proper speech. It’s no wonder why Creative Smiles in Tucson, AZ is urging parents to be more involved in their children’s dental health as early as before the first milk tooth sprouts up. According to the figures, more than 30 percent of children show signs of cavities by the time they reach the age of 5. Without proper dental health, imagine the state of these little tykes’ teeth by the time they enter grade school.
Diet as one of the factors for dental health
The diet of your toddler may be the reason for why he or she is starting to have cavities. Dr. Lari and Creative Smiles are encouraging parents to plan their children’s diet not just with their systemic health in consideration but also keeping in mind their dental health. It is common knowledge that sugar is implicated in the development of cavities but what else is?
Sugar in meals and snacks
According to Dr. Lari and Creative Smiles in Tucson, AZ, parents should restrict the number of sugary drinks to only four times per day. Furthermore, these drinks should be given only with meals or during planned snack times. This is to discourage children from mindlessly sipping these sweet drinks during irregular periods of the day which only fuels their addiction to sugar. At the same time, when you give sugary treats with meals, chances are that your children would brush their teeth minutes after consuming their food which limits the time that sugar is accessed by harmful oral bacteria.
Water in sippy cups
As soon as your child can manage to drink without the aid of a bottle, make the transition to sippy cups and glasses. This will wean your child from sucking, which could lead to the improper growth of your child’s two front teeth. Parents should also encourage their children to drink water in between meals instead of other drinks. Not only is water good for the body, it also does not contain sugar, which is harmful to teeth.
Juices for Vitamin C
Orange juice and other citrus juices are rich in vitamin C. The only problem is that these drinks are also very acidic and can cause erosion of enamel. In order to prevent this from happening, make it a point to dilute each serving of fruit juice with 10 parts water. Only serve juices to your kids during meal or snack times.
Your child should have their first oral exam by Creative Smiles in Tucson, AZ as soon as the first tooth emerges. Call today to set up an appointment.
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