Take a Bite Back Into Better Dental Health
by Dr. Stephen J. Parr D.D.S.
Read Take a Bite Back Into Better Dental Health by Dr. Stephen J. Parr D.D.S. to learn more about Grove Smiles® Dentistry and our Dentistry office in Coconut Grove, FL.
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Full-out fall activities have arrived! But, unfortunately, for many of us, rushing to work, taxiing our families to extracurriculars, and generally trying to do it all have led us to a pattern of a “what’s easier at the moment” attitude. This poor habit in our choices of what we choose to eat and when we choose to eat it has probably taken a toll on our waistlines and dental health.
Start Strong – Stay Strong
We know that proper nutrition is crucial for you and your family’s growth and development. But did you know it is also essential for your dental health?
A simple rule is that a good diet can help your child build strong, healthy teeth, while regular poor eating habits put your teeth in danger of cavities and tooth decay.
On-The-Go Teeth Friendly Snack Options
We may be conquering and balancing our regular meals nutritiously, but the one time that may get away from us quickly is Snack Time – those quick in-between quick bite times that may too often become your main meals if you are not careful. To help, here are a few tips to help make sure your snack time is not only nutritious but tooth-friendly.
1. For our in-between meal times, it is best to opt for fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and cheese. Avoid starchy, sticky, or sugary foods like dried fruit, crackers, chips, and cookies. These types of snacks will stick to the teeth for extended periods of time, potentially causing cavities.
2. Eat your sweet treats at mealtimes. At your main meals, your mouth produces an increased amount of saliva to allow you to taste your food and help you break down your food for digestion. This saliva production also enables the mouth to wash away those starches and sugary treats; plus, it counteracts the acid-producing bacteria and remineralizes your teeth.
3. Beware of Added Sugars. Almost all foods have naturally occurring sugars. Naturally occurring sugars–like those found in milk and vegetables–are less bothersome since these choices are healthy overall. However, what you want to keep an eye out for when choosing snacks are the additional sugars.
The current guidelines set by the American Dental Association recommend that added sugar consumption should be limited to less than 10 percent of your total energy intake, ideally to less than five percent. To help you understand how quickly we can intake sugar, one can of soda is equivalent to three times the daily recommended sugar intake of a child.
Best Beverage Selection
With the importance of hidden sugars not only for our waistlines but our oral health, we advise you to choose your beverages wisely. Soda and juice may be you or your family’s preferred drinks, but milk and water are much healthier choices. Milk is an excellent source of calcium in building healthy teeth and bones. While refreshing, water helps wash away food particles clinging to teeth protecting against decay while rehydrating your body for overall health.
Small But Powerful
Small frequent drinks are essential for overall health, but be careful of constantly sipping beverages besides water throughout the day. Continual consumption of either food or drink is harmful to teeth because not only are you feeding yourself, but you are also feeding the cavity-causing bacteria that reside in your mouth.
The best recommendation is to limit snacking and sip on water. If you prefer to drink anything that contains sugar, drink it during meal times or all at once.
Great Dentist Ready To Help in Coconut Grove, FL
We are proud to help generations of families create and maintain healthy smiles. So call today, as our team at Grove Smiles Dentistry is here to work with you and your family in treating and preventing tooth decay so that your whole family can have a healthy life and a cavity-free smile!
For Your Health,
Dr. Stephen J. Parr D.D.S.
