Foods to Avoid
There are certain foods that have been shown to cause tooth decay and dental cavities. In order to help provide your children with a cavity-free childhood, we recommend staying away from these damaging foods and beverages.
Why Certain Foods Cause Oral Issues?
Below are a few types of food and drinks to avoid purchasing and keeping in your home:
- Sugary Drinks – Sugar is not only damaging to your overall health, but to your child’s dental health as well. Bacteria feed on the sugar left behind on the teeth and turn it into acid. This acid then breaks down the tooth enamel, causing tooth decay and dental cavities. Because of this, we recommend staying away from soft drinks, even diet sodas, as well as sports drinks.
- Fruit Juices – While fruit juices may seem like the next best option, they are still full of sugar and can damage the teeth. We recommend offering your child low-fat milk and water over fruit juices.
- Potato Chips – Starches that are made from white flour are simple carbohydrates. This means that they break down into simple sugars, which can cause tooth decay. Not only do these food options provide little nutritional value, but the starches can adhere to the teeth, causing more problems. Instead of bread, pasta, and other carbs made with white flour, stick with whole wheat options.
- Chewy Candy – We’ve already discussed the damage that sugar can do to the teeth. When you add in extra chewy textures like taffy and caramel, it makes it even worse. This is because these types of candy stick to the teeth for a lot longer, extending the amount of time that the enamel is exposed to the sugar.
While anything is ok in moderation, we do recommend brushing immediately after consuming any of the above foods and encouraging your children to do the same. Here at Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry, your child’s dental health is important to us.
To make an appointment at our office or if you have more questions about helping your child achieve and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile, please contact Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry. Our child’s dentist is located here in Greensboro, North Carolina. We also see children from the surrounding areas including Summerfield, and Oak Ridge; as well as the children living within neighborhoods like New & Old Irving Park, Forest Valley, Friendly Acres, and more.
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Our Dentists
Dr. Naomi & Dr. Jenn are Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
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New Patients
We want your child’s first appointment to be as much about your questions and concerns as possible.
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Treatments
Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry is proud to offer a full range of pediatric dental care services, and treatments.