Children love to munch on sugary snacks and slurping on ice-cold drinks like their life depends on that. You often see them sneaking into cookie jars and your secret chocolate stash in the pantry. However, what you might ignore as a playful trick on their part might be ruining their teeth. Sugary treats are the number one culprit that the best family dentist in Richmond will warn you against. Children love to indulge in treats after school or after a weekend has ended. When fun is in full swing, you might feel bad as a parent to deny your child something as little as a sugary treat or an ice lolly. However, these innocent, colorful hordes of sugar may be the reason the visits to the dentist are becoming increasingly regular.
Summer has nearly gone by and your kids may have eaten a horde of ice lollies, fruity popsicles, sodas, ice creams, gelatos, and candy. Halloween is almost here and before your child destroys or compromises their dental or oral hygiene further, we have rounded up some of the most common fun food that is seriously destroying your kid’s teeth. Avoid these dental health care culprits and you will see that your child’s teeth will be better off in the future.
Anything Frozen
Popsicles, ice-lollies, and freezes are some of the things that make even parents nostalgic because who didn’t grow up eating those on a hot summer’s day? These frozen confections are colorful, ice-cold, and full of sugar, which can ruin your child’s teeth. While you are eating one of these, your gums and teeth are constantly in contact with sugars that can latch onto the teeth and gums and breed harmful bacteria that can break down the enamel. As an alternative, freeze fresh berries and peeled fruits and cut them into pieces to serve as a quick frozen snack. They are a healthier alternative as they have less sugar and will satisfy any cravings that your children might have.
Sodas and Fruity Sports Drinks
You might think that sports drinks can provide your child the energy that they need after a day of playing and exertion, but what you don’t know is that most of these sports drinks are filled with sugars to make them taste good and even palatable. If your child automatically reaches for a soda or a sports drink whenever they feel thirsty, you may have a serious behavioral problem on your hand. Your child’s teeth are being actively exposed to sugar throughout the day that can wreak havoc on the teeth by eroding tooth enamel while the carbonation action of sodas destroys your child’s oral hygiene.
Candy
The best family dentist Richmond has to offer advice to parents to restrict the amount of candy their child eats in a day. While a piece of candy here and there is fine, but it’s instrumental that children are warned against the chewy and sticky candies that stick to the teeth and gums and help breed bacteria. They should also avoid eating hard candies that require you to suck on them for the better part of an hour. The chewy candies lodge themselves between the teeth and can be really hard to get rid of, even with a vigorous teeth brushing routine. The second type of candies, i.e. hard candies, release concentrated sugars while dissolving in the mouth. This means that the teeth are constantly being exposed to sugar for a long time. This can be hazardous to your child’s teeth.
For avoiding any damage to your child’s teeth and gum health, ask the best family dentist Richmond has to offer, to help counteract these problems.