Dietary counselling is an integral part of a dental examination. We always try to educate our patients/parents/adolescents/kids on what food or food products to eat in order to keep teeth healthy.
With our ever-changing social and economic environments and more specifically our changing eating habits and practices, we are seeing an escalation in tooth decay. Food products have changed from being raw to processed, which allow the food to stick to your teeth for longer time periods, resulting in more tooth decay.
The list of food /food products that we highly recommend at our dental office, is as follows:
Protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, etc.
Crunchy fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, celery, pears, broccoli, cucumbers, etc.
Fluoridated tap water (Bottled water does NOT contain Fluoride)
Nuts
Low fat cheese, yogurt and milk
Equally important to mention is a list of food products that can be directly linked to tooth decay:
Candy, cookies, cakes
Sugary drinks such as juices and pop
Acidic foods such as limes, lemons, oranges. These can strip tooth enamel if consumed alone, but they are healthy options as a part of large meal.
Kid’s rulebook for good dental health:
Limit high-sugar fruits like banana and raisins
Never put child to bed with bottle of juice or milk
Never dip pacifiers in sweet things like sugar or honey
Serve sweet treats only with meals
Provide fluoridated tap water
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