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As 2015 settles in, we find ourselves also settling into our routines. Whether you’re at work, at home, or anywhere in between, we are creatures of habit. As such, it is important that we strive for building positive habits for not only ourselves, but our children as well.

At Dentistry for Children & Adolescents, we do our best to instill proper dental care and knowledge into all who walk through our doors. Today, we continue that mission by offering a few tooth-friendly foods for your children, along with a few you should avoid.

Tooth Friendly Snacks #1: Apples

They can act as something of a natural toothbrush while also stimulating blood flow in the gums and increase saliva flow, which is important to protecting teeth and gum tissue. Not to mention how packed with vitamins and minerals they are, apples are one of the simplest snacks you can keep around your home.

Tooth Friendly Snacks #2: Cheese & Dairy

Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss and other aged cheeses help trigger saliva flow which is also very important for washing away food particles on teeth.

Dairy products of all sorts, provided sugar is not added, help teeth in a number of ways. Milk, yogurt, and similar products provide calcium and phosphates. A study that was published in the Journal of Oral Dentistry found that kids who eat at least four servings of dairy per week were less likely to get cavities than those who didn’t.

Tooth Friendly Snacks #3: Whole-grain options

By design, these type of foods are lower in sugar and calories because they’re sold to health-conscious buyers, which is a double bonus for you and your family. Crackers are a great whole-grain option, and cereals are generally a big hit with children. It’s easy to incorporate whole-grain into full-blown meals as well. When grocery shopping, look for the variety of pasta, rice, and bread to supplement your family meals.

As we’ve gone over in the past, there are also plenty of options to avoid. Ranging from sticky, dried fruits, citrus-only or highly acidic snacks, cereal bars, are all prone to developing cavities on a child’s tooth. However, now that you know what to look for and the common culprits, you should have no problem providing a healthy and tasty treat for whenever you’re family wants it!

Remember, developing good eating habits start with you, making it a group effort will not only make it fun and easy for them but also help you keep your own smile looking bright and beautiful!

It seems that every day, a new article is released proclaiming the risks to your children’s teeth and overall health if you let them drink soda or sugary drinks. We heartily agree with these reports, of course, but a mistake often made by parents is to substitute soda with fruit juice drinks thinking they are doing their children a healthy favor, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Today’s entry focuses on fruit juice facts, and some healthy alternatives for your children to keep their smiles bright, and their future health even brighter!

Fruit Juice Facts

The real danger in fruit juices lies in two factors—fructose content and acidity. Almost everything you consume has some amount of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in it as a substitute for actual sugar. Aside from the obvious dangers associated with the compound, (just type in ‘high-fructose corn syrup’ and see what pops up, it will shock you) it can wreak havoc on a young child’s teeth.

Our bodies processes HFCS differently from white sugar. HFCS causes intense blood sugar fluctuations which can cause minerals to be pulled away from bones and teeth. This absence leaves teeth weakened and more vulnerable to decay.

Next, the acidic content of these fruit drinks creates a double whammy on a young person’s teeth. The pH scale runs from 7 to 0, where 7 indicates something incredibly basic (meaning non-acidic) and 0 indicates something very alkaline (very acidic). For example, battery acid is rated as a 1, and tap water is rated as a 7 on the pH scale.

Did you know that a Capri Sun rates at 2.9? Or that a Hi-C Lemonaide drink rates at a 2.7 on the pH scale? Cranberry juice is rated as a 2.6, and contains 46 grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving. In case you wondering, that’s a lot.

Common go-to drink substitutes such as Sunny Delight don’t rate well either. It rates as fairly acidic at 2.4 on the pH scale, with 30 grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving.

So what are the alternatives?

Alternative Options

Well of course, water. For adults, this tends not to be an issue, but getting a young child to drink enough water in a day can be laborious. Using an orange slice for flavor can prove fruitful (pun intended) in this process, or perhaps a lemon. Coconut water is low in sugar and high in potassium, which makes it a perfect, flavorful addition to any fridge.

Milk is commonly considered okay by many pediatricians. Often, they recommend using whole milk until the age of two, then cutting back to 2% or skim. It has a low sugar content (2% has 16 grams per 12 ounce serving) and contains plenty of calcium and vitamin D—both of which are vital. If your child is allergic to dairy-- soy, hemp or rice milks that are calcium fortified make great substitutes.

It’s a common issue, and it’s a very natural reflex for children to take to thumb sucking. It’s called non-nutritive sucking. Sucking on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or anything else they can get their hands on helps with feeling happy and secure in a young child’s mind.

We’ve discussed the topic of choosing between a pacifier and a thumb, but what do you do when your child should stop sucking their thumb? Today, we’re going to discuss exactly that and give you our guide to wean your little one off the thumb!

As a baby, thumb sucking is quite natural and can help soothe and calm them, often to sleep (which helps you get some sleep as well). But as a child gets older, it can pose a problem.

Sucking can disrupt proper placement of primary teeth, causing bigger headaches down the road when their permanent counterparts begin growing in. Ultimately, it is up to you when to start this process, but once the permanent teeth come in, thumb sucking causes problems with proper growth and alignment of teeth. These factors can result in the need for braces or the development of a lisp, which can take years of speech therapy to fix.

Usually, as your child grows and interacts with other children, social behavioral cues will guide them to quit. It doesn’t happen that way all the time though, so you may need to help you child overcome thumb sucking.

It’s important to outline the phrase “help them” because alienating your child through shaming or force is not the correct manner to subdue their urge, and could backfire. So, what can you do instead?

• Make it a team effort. Instead of ordering them to quit, ask them questions that lead them to the conclusion that it’s time to stop. For example, telling them that you’ve noticed they are getting old enough to quit and asking if they have any ideas on what to do about it.
• If they don’t have any ideas, offering up a solution is better than a command. Something as simple as suggesting putting a Band-Aid over their thumb, and letting them pick out a fun design, could be exactly what the doctor ordered!
• Praise them for when they aren’t thumb sucking, rather than scolding them for when they do. Coming up with an unconventional signal (like an ear tug or hand sign) that you can use in public and be discreet with can help avoid a sense of shame that could drive them to the habit even more.
• If you decide to go the route of putting an unsavory tasting substance on their finger or nail, do not use something spicy. Use something simple like vinegar, or lemon juice, but only if the child agrees to it. We feel it’s best to avoid negative reinforcement if possible. Getting your child to want to quit is key.

Noticing the triggers in your child is also integral to their success. Do they do it before bedtime, or while watching TV? Maybe they do it when they are anxious or are sad. Noticing these and making an effort through one of the methods above will help them feel like it’s a team effort.

Above all, being patient with your little one is key, and don’t be afraid to offer praise and maybe even a reward along the way!

With the holidays upon us, the battle against your child’s wants and encouraging dental hygiene has reached critical mass. And while as quickly as the holidays arrive, they are gone, it’s important to stock your kitchen with the proper kinds of food and drink.

Today, we’re going to focus on a few common threats found in every kitchen and give you a couple ideas on how to keep you, your children, and your dentist happy!

1) Dried fruits

It comes as a shock to many people, but dried fruits can be a big enemy in the fight against cavities. Raisins, apricots, prunes and others, that are sweet when fresh, have more highly concentrated sugars when dehydrated. This allows them to cling to the enamel of your children’s teeth like a gooey candy snack.

To make matters worse, the insoluble fiber typically found in fruits helps trap sugar on and around teeth, which makes them public enemy number one to good dental hygiene.

2) Citrus-only snacks

Fruits from the citrus family are highly acidic. The citric acid found in limes, lemons, oranges even berries can wreak havoc on a child’s tooth enamel. They are so powerful that they are often used as a cleaning agent! Ever wonder why all those cleaners under the sink are citrus-scented?

Ditching these fruits entirely would be a bad idea, so find a happy medium by combining the citrus with other foods. This allows the acidic particles to attach to something other than your child’s teeth and minimizes any potential damage.

3) Vinegar

Vinegar is a great low-fat alternative to add flavor to a dish often found in salad dressings, hot sauce, chips, and pickles. However, for less mature tooth enamel that is more vulnerable to erosion, it’s best to avoid it.

Ensure dental health with a good, thorough rinsing after meals either by brushing or drinking plenty of water. But, make sure to wait 30 minutes before brushing, which allows softened enamel a chance to recover.

4) Mouth-drying consumables

If your child is sick and put on a medication that includes the side effect of dry mouth, this can put their teeth and gums in danger. The best solution is to keep them hydrated with plenty of fluids, like water or fluoridated rinses.

Giving your child’s natural defenses the right tools to fight off decay and gum disease should always be your first rule in good dental hygiene!

5) Chewable vitamins

Whether they are multivitamins or vitamin-specific supplements, chewable vitamins pack a big punch to a child’s teeth because they contain a concentrated acid and high amounts of sugar which can find a home in teeth. Even with vigorous brushing, this can be hard to remove unless your child is flossing. Given enough time, this will eventually wear down the young enamel.

Of course, none of these facts can help without a good, consistent routine of dental hygiene that consists of brushing, flossing, rinsing and check-ups! At Dentistry for Children and Adolescents, we are dedicated to equipping parents with what you need to know!