These foods could be harming your child’s dental health

Looking after a child’s health is most parents’ priority. However, most of them end up forgetting how much the single term ‘health’ includes. In addition to vital bodily functions, it also involves mental health. Additionally, oral health is something that is left out very often. The teeth and the gums require as much care and attention as any other part of the body and regular check-ups are crucial in order to ensure optimum teeth and gum health. Cavities, plaque, toothache, chipped teeth or stained teeth are some dental issues one can come across in daily life as a result of poor hygiene or a bad diet. Here are five worst foods that you should minimize as a part of your child’s diet to prevent any harm to their teeth.

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Be it candies or sweets, any food item that sticks to the teeth is not good for dental health because they are bacteria's feast. In addition to sweet sticky foods, sour sticky foods are also extremely harmful for dental health because they contain acid that erodes the enamel.

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Like sour fruits, citrus fruits and juices also have a high acid content which is bad for the enamel. Limes, lemons and oranges are all acidic, orange being the safest option because of the least acid content. Make sure your child consumes these fruits in moderation and uses a straw while drinking citrus juices so that no direct with the teeth takes place.

Even though it is made of whole wheat grain corn and is a very healthy snack, it can often get stuck under the lining of the gum and wreak havoc in the form of gum infections. Brushing the teeth after having popcorn is highly advisable as it helps get rid of any stuck kernel fragments.

Children have soft teeth that are extra sensitive to hot or cold drinks. Carbonated drinks are not just bad for the body but equally bad for the mouth. The teeth are exposed to the carbonic acid present in these drinks which leads to enamel damage, making the teeth more prone to decay. Rinsing the teeth after having a carbonated drink is the best way to minimize the adverse effects of these drinks.

Potato chips and other crackers contain huge quantities of starch that ultimately gets converted to sugar and harm the teeth. In addition to this, these food items also tend to get stuck between the teeth and bacteria present in tooth plaque feeds on them. The longer these chips stick to the teeth, the more time bacteria get to feed on them and higher are the chances of cavities getting built. Make sure you make your child brush its teeth properly so that any remaining fragments are removed.