Good dental care is essential for every individual and it should start at an early age. Children need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food properly and to flash a great-looking smile in expressing their youthful glee.

As a parent, you can start teaching healthy oral habits to your kids by encouraging them to brush twice a day and floss. You’re also supposed to take them for regular checkups every six months.

But what many parents don’t realize is good nutrition is as much a key to improve your child’s dental health as these practices, and there is actually a lot of can lessen the chances of your child developing tooth decay and cavities that, naturally, mean more visits to the dentist.

Milk, fruits are friends of your child’s pearly whites

Naturally, watching your child’s food habits like how much sweets they are having, will go a long way as far as their oral health is concerned. But as a parent, you can also incorporate several food items to their diet.

Fruits and milk are just few of the nourishments from the food pyramid that could keep your child’s orals healthy.Calcium-rich food such as milk, yogurt, cheeses are good food choices for a healthy mouth. Calcium works by mixing with plaque and sticking to the teeth to further protect them from lingering acid, as well as repairs damaged enamel. These foods also strengthen the bones around your child’s teeth – making them more resistant to gum problems later in life.

These foods are also rich in phosphorus that raises the mouth’s pH level, reduces the risk of tooth decay, and lowers acid levels caused by eating starchy carbohydrates, such as bread and white potatoes, that eventually produces different types of cavity-causing acid bacteria in the mouth after being broken down into sugars.

Also, instead of the usual cakes and sweet desserts, introduce fruits and veggies as snacks to your kids. Pears, melons, celery and cucumbers, lemons, strawberry and kiwi are your best options because they are rich in water and fiber that balance the sugar they contain. They also wash harmful acids and food particles stuck in your child’s teeth away and neutralize acids by stimulating saliva production in the mouth. Try to brush your child’s teeth immediately after they consume a banana or raisin since they contain concentrated sugars.

However, dentists advise kids to brush their teeth at least 30 minutes after taking citrus food. This is due to the citric acid content that can temporarily weaken the enamel of the teeth and it may leave them vulnerable to erosion caused by brushing.

Crisp vegetables such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, and green beans, considered “chewing foods”, are also excellent choices. These foods mechanically clean the mouth, and naturally scrape away plaque that builds up between meals.

Oral healthcare may be a usual concern for everybody, but mostly still needs to be reminded of the things that should be done to keep their pearly whites healthy. Trust us – your kids will thank you later on!