Children’s Oral Health Lakeridge Dental Centre

Our dental professionals at Lakeridge Dental Centre want to share some tips with you on how to keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong. After all, a healthy smile is crucial for their overall well-being.

As a loving parent/guardian, you want your child to make healthy food choices. While a balanced diet is necessary for their growth and development, some food and drink choices can increase the risk of tooth decay. For example, sugary snacks like candy, cookies, and chocolate can cause tooth decay if left on the teeth for too long.

At Lakeridge Dental Centre, we suggest some healthy options to keep your child’s teeth healthy. Fruits and veggies with high water content, like pears, melons, celery, and cucumbers, make great snacks. Cheese, especially cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, and other aged cheeses, can trigger the flow of saliva, which helps wash away food particles.

On the flip side, it’s best to avoid sticky and chewy foods like raisins, cereal bars, jelly beans, and caramel because they tend to stick to teeth and can be tough to wash away. If your child does have these snacks, encourage them to brush immediately after. And try to limit snacking as much as possible. The time between meals allows saliva to wash away food particles that bacteria would otherwise feast on.

It’s also a good idea to buy sugar-free or unsweetened foods and drinks. If your child likes to have a drink before bed, make sure it’s water because saliva reduces while asleep, which increases the risk of decay if anything sugary is consumed just before sleep. Finally, include good sources of calcium in your child’s diet, such as milk, spinach, and yogurt, to build strong teeth.

Don’t forget to bring your child to Lakeridge Dental Centre for their dental exam and cleaning. We’re here to help keep your child’s smile bright and healthy. Give us a call today to book their appointment.