The Dental Centre aims to provide you and your family with the absolute best dentistry services in Ontario. To set up your next appointment, checkup or cleaning, contact us at the Dental Centre today!
Practicing and promoting proper oral care is of the utmost importance for us here at the Dental Centre. When it comes to children, the younger they start off practicing good oral hygiene, the better off they will be as they grow older. Brushing, flossing and rinsing is a large part of practicing proper oral hygiene, but what’s also important is the foods that your child is eating. If there’s one thing that children love, it’s snacks. Chips and candy and soda are all too common amongst young diets today, many of which are a leading cause of cavities and other oral health related problems. In this blog, we will look at a few great snacks for your child that are better for maintaining a healthy smile.
Cheese
Whether as an additional part of their lunch at school, something small between meals or a fantastic midnight snack, cheese is a delicious snack that is also far better for your child’s teeth than other processed foods. Eat it on its own in slices or cubes, or pair it with apples or grapes for a tasty treat. Best of all, unlike potato chips and tortilla chips, cheese is low in sodium and high in calcium — a key way to maintain strong bones and teeth.
Yogurt
For those little ones that have a sweet tooth and usually reach for cookies, ice cream and candy bars, there’s plenty of ways to get a fix of the sweet stuff without dealing with the high sugar content that causes cavities and tooth decay. Yogurt is a fantastic way to satisfy that need for sweets. Though some flavored yogurts contain high levels of sugar, a great way to offset this is by opting for plain yogurt, (Greek yogurt also comes packed with added protein!) and adding some blueberries, strawberries and raspberries for a sweet and tangy treat. The sweet satisfaction is still there, and the berries come with high levels of antioxidants!
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter, though sweet, can also be beneficial to your child without being completely loaded with sugar. Best of all, it can be spread on or added to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to give them a little kick. Baby carrots, celery, and apples can all be given a tasty upgrade with a little dollop of peanut butter.
Fruit
Fruit is a fantastic option for snacking, be it in your child’s lunch or as a fantastic after dinner dessert. Fresh apples and berries are filled with essential vitamins and nutrients (and as mentioned before, antioxidants) that will bring your child far more benefits than a processed and sugar-filled dessert. The best rule of thumb is to avoid overdoing the citrus fruits, as the high levels of acid can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel.
Those are just a few delicious snacking options that are better for helping your child maintain healthy teeth. Pairing healthy eating habits with good oral hygiene practices, like brushing after every meal along with flossing and rinsing, is key. Once a practice is established at a younger age, the desire to eat unhealthy and sugary snacks will become unappealing in just a short amount of time. The Dental Centre is here to provide the families of Ontario with the best in family dentistry services. To set up your child’s next appointment, dental cleaning or checkup, contact the Dental Centre today!