Whether is is Halloween trick or treat bags, Thanksgiving sugary sweet potatoes and pies or Christmas candy... the fall and winter holidays can be hard on little teeth. Excitement and distraction are everywhere and corralling the kids to ADD to their dental hygiene can be a huge challenge.
It's time for crafty parents to pull out all those little things that can help their children's combat sugary tooth decay.
One of the more fun ways to slip in a few 'tooth friendly' good habits is to have your kids take ownership and tell YOU what to do.Extra brushing and flossing are not the only tools at a parent's disposal this time of year. Healthy eating choices can help balance some of the harmful factors in holiday favorites. Rather than nag your kids to eat more of the yummy types of healthier food, what about letting them educate you about adding them to the holiday?
To help you inspire your kids to balance out some of the sugar they will consume this season -- here is a fun kid friendly video that you can share with them.
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Now you can let them tell you about the benefits of adding some cheese to those sugary holiday meals and snack times!
Many cheeses have been shown to help in the fight to prevent tooth decay. Eating thee cheeses can be healthy for teeth in more than one way.
And, eating a cube of cheese can help to harden teeth and discourage the softening which is so important to combat when trying to prevent cavities. It does this by increasing plaque-calcium concentration up to 112%! It provides a coating of calcium on the teeth that helps protect against cavities.
The most important way eating cheese helps with sugary holidays has to do with the reason sugars and acid fruits are so bad for teeth.
When we eat, the pH in our mouth often drops - the mouth becomes more acidic.
Teeth are super sensitive to acid -- and acid is what makes the teeth get soft during that 20 - 30 minutes after eating and before brushing. It appears that eating cheese can help maintain a pH level in the mouth that is safe for teeth. The studies are still going on, but it is looking good for acid neutralizing powers for the cheese.
What has been proven is that eating certain kinds of cheese (including aged Cheddar, Swiss, Blue, Monterrey Jack, Brie, Gouda, and processed American cheese) right after a meal or as a snack helps prevent tooth decay.
And in this tooth decay promoting-sweets focused time of year... that is super important. So, let your kids discover this fun toothcare tip video and give YOU the cheesy news!
Happy Holidays Everybody
Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles
Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.
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