#1 Pediatric Dentist in Kearney: What Foods Are REALLY GOOD for Your Teeth?
A nutritious snack is a wonderful complement to any meal plan, but beware: some of these foods are really bad for your teeth. A pediatric dentist in Kearney explains if you want your child to keep their teeth and gums in good health, you should try reducing their intake of these “healthy” foods. Shoal Creek helps you discover why.
Trail Mix
A pediatric dentist in Kearney explains when looking for a healthy snack option, trail mix is a great choice. Take caution, though! Shoal Creek says to keep an eye out for unhealthy ingredients in trail mix if you’re concerned about the amount of sugar and fat your child may consume. Toss out the trail mix with the candy, dried fruit, and chocolate if you can. Try to find mixes that are both flavorless and sugar-free.
Dried Fruit
No matter what, fruit is delicious. Totally incorrect according to a kids dentist in Kearney! If you are concerned about your child’s dental health, you should keep them away from dried fruit. The sugar content of dried fruit is substantially higher than that of fresh fruit, and it lacks the water that gives fruit its beneficial properties.
Shoal Creek explains says to illustrate, let’s take prunes. Prunes are essentially dried plums, but they pack a calorie and sugar punch—more than 400 in just one cup. Plums are high in sugar, but they’re relatively low in calories (75 per plum). Picking fresh fruit instead of dried fruit is the most important thing.
Citrus Fruits
A pediatric dentist in Kearney explains fruits have many health benefits, but they can also be harmful to teeth if eaten in excess. Tooth enamel erosion can occur as a result of eating acidic fruits such as:
- Tangerines
- Lemons
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Lemons
After eating citrus fruits, make sure to rinse your child’s mouth with water to remove the acid and reduce the risk of cavities.
Granola
The conventional wisdom holds that granola, when mixed with milk or yogurt, is a more nutritious cereal option than traditional breakfast cereals. What they don’t tell you is that granola usually has a lot of sugar and fat in it. Your child may get cavities, explains a kids dentist in Kearney, from the added sugar and weight gain from the high calorie density if they eat too much of it. If you insist on eating granola, be sure to check the nutritional facts and select the variety with the least sugar and maximum fiber.
Experiment with Cheese or Fleshy Fruits!
A diet rich in calcium, like cheese, can help keep teeth strong. However, that is not the last advantage of cheese. Casein, a protein it contains, helps to prevent cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. Another way cheese protects tooth enamel from erosion is by neutralizing acid.
As a snack, fibrous fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, celery, and nuts are great for your teeth. That’s because these foods’ fibrous texture actually scrubs teeth as you eat them, removing surface sugar and acid that can be harmful to your teeth, a pediatric dentist in Kearney explains.
What About Dairy?
As the old saying goes, “strong teeth and bones require milk and dairy.” Milk and other dairy products do a lot to promote strong teeth and bones, but that’s not all there is to it.
What Matters Most is What’s Inside
Dairy products, such as milk, are an excellent source of the minerals and vitamins D, calcium, and magnesium that are necessary for healthy bones and teeth – according to a pediatric dentist in Kearney. You can get those minerals and vitamins that are good for your teeth from a variety of foods, not just milk and dairy products.
Calcium
The human body is rich in calcium, the most abundant mineral, which is essential for strong bones, healthy blood vessels, and a well-functioning neurological system. Bones and teeth store nearly all of the body’s calcium, making it an absolute necessity for strong bones and teeth. Calcium, it goes without saying, must be consumed daily; however, it need not be derived from dairy products.
Some foods that are rich in calcium, according to a children’s dentist in Kearney, and popular calcium-boosted items include: salmon, broccoli, dark greens, almonds, citrus fruits, sesame seeds, and some cereals.
Amino Acid
Magnesium aids in calcium absorption, which is essential for healthy tooth development and enamel. Magnesium actually facilitates calcium absorption by transforming vitamin D into its active form.
Magnesium is present in foods such as:
- Nuts
- Beans
- Seeds
- Dark green vegetables
- Whole grains
Deficit of Vitamin D
Despite its importance, vitamin D is frequently disregarded when discussing how to maintain healthy teeth and bones. Signaling the intestines to absorb calcium into the bloodstream, vitamin D functions as a communicator. Insufficient vitamin D significantly reduces calcium’s beneficial effects. Proper vitamin D supplementation, in conjunction with calcium, significantly increases the density and strength of bones and teeth, making them more resistant to breakage.
Fatty fish (such as salmon and tuna), citrus fruits, egg yolks, and dairy products (such as almond and soy milk) are good sources of vitamin D – according to a pediatric dentist in Kearney.
Embrace the Omnipresence of Mouth-Healthy Foods!
Maintaining good oral and overall health requires a diet rich in nutrients, but it can be challenging to find nutritious food on your own! Find out more about mouth-healthy food choices for your loved ones by chatting with a pediatric dentist in Kearney. In you want to improve your child’s oral health, Shoal Creek will put you in touch with a kids dentist in Kearney that will assist you in identifying the best foods to accomplish this.
Shoal Creek has gone to great lengths, from the design of our office buildings to the quality of the assistance we provide to our clients, to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming to families with small children.
At Shoal Creek, we have worked hard to create a kid-friendly environment, from our office décor to our caring and professional staff. Our pediatric dental specialists in Kearney, MO have offices designed specifically to provide a non-threatening environment where you and your child can feel safe and secure about the dental care they are receiving.
As your trusted children’s dentist in Kearney, MO, we will treat your child as you would — with understanding, patience, and kindness. Give us a call today at 816-781-5437 or fill out a new patient form today. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
