Diet Advice for Healthy Smiles
Prevention is always better than cure and here are some helpful hits to prevent tooth decay.
Diet
- Snacking between meals is the most common cause of tooth decay so limit sugary snacks to meal times – thus reducing the frequency of sugars
- Food Free time is important for healthy teeth
- Reduce all juices (fruit juice and dilutable juices) as plain (unflavoured) water and milk are the only tooth friendly drinks; even no added sugar drinks contain natural sugars that can cause decay
- No sweet drinks (juices) in the bottle or sippy cup
- Infants and toddlers never to sleep with a bottle
- Keep treats to meal times and avoid sticky treats (toffees, jellies, lollipops and raisins)
- Finish meals with cheese or milk
Safe Snacks
Safe Foods for Teeth
These are foods that are safe for teeth. They are suitable for snacks for children:
- Milk or water
- Fresh fruit
- Vegetable sticks
- Plain yogurt/fromage frais
- Low sugar breakfast cereals & milk (porridge,weetabix,shredded wheat)
- Savoury crackers or oatcakes
- Cheese/Bread/Toast
- Homemade popcorn/nuts (caution with children under 5)
Foods that cause Tooth Decay
Foods and Drinks that cause decay:
- Soft drinks
- Juices – dilutable, concentrate, no added suger etc
- Dried fruit – raisins, dried banana, apricot etc
- Flavoured yogurts – including drinkable yogurts
- Children’s breakfast cereals
- Processed foods with fruit flavour
- All traditional sweets, chocolate bars etc
Clonmel Children’s Dental Clinic is the dental practice of Dr. Eimear Norton. We provide specialized dentistry for children and adolescents in a child-friendly environment.