A good rule to keep in mind when choosing snacks: avoid sugary foods. That’s especially true for young children. When your child eats or drinks sugar, the bacteria in his/her mouth mix with the sugars to make a mild acid which attacks the teeth's hard outer layer. Over time this can cause cavities.
Fresh fruit, chopped raw vegetables, rice cakes and mini sandwiches are much better alternatives. When your child gets older, it’s harder to resist the lure of something sweet. However, there are a number of ways you can reduce the damage they will do to teeth:
Make sure you are able to brush your/your child’s teeth immediately after eating something sweet. Avoid sugar-rich foods that stay in the mouth for a long time and prolong the acid attack, such as lollipops. Also, steer clear of soft sticky sweets which cling to the teeth, such as toffee. Natural sugars found in fruit have the same effect as refined ones (found in candy and cake) so even healthy snacks like raisins or fruit bars are dangerous for teeth as they can get stuck on and between teeth, giving the chance for acid to do its work. Eat something neutralizing, such as a piece of cheese, after a sweet. This will help to neutralize the acid in your child's mouth. Avoid acidic, sugary or fizzy drinks especially between meals and never give your child these drinks in a bottle, as that can prolong exposure to harmful sugars. Fruit juice is fine with a meal but it should always be diluted. Water or milk is always the best choice.
Great ideas for tooth-friendly snacks:
plain popcorn plain yogurt hard boiled egg cubes of cheese fresh fruit raw or cooked vegetables corn on the cob plain ricecakes
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