Healthy and Strong Teeth, the Foundation of Children’s Growth and Development

Tooth decay is a common problem suffered by children under five years old. The cause of tooth decay varied, include sweet food and beverages, lack of oral hygiene and oral health. As parents, you better introduce healthy lifestyle from the early age, including teeth and oral health. This activity need to be done regularly, consistent and continuously. By enforcing this habit, your children will have healthy and strong teeth, which will support their growth and development.

Sweet food and beverage, the enemy of healthy teeth

Children’s oral health is strongly linked with the type of food they consume and how often they eat it. Teeth damage is the result of infection by bacteria inside the oral cavity that use glucose contained in the food or beverages, to produce acid. As time passed, acid will erode the enamel and cause tooth decay.

So, avoid giving sweet food and beverages to your children. Cake, biscuit, jelly and carbonated drink, and sweets are the dishes you better avoid. As the substitute, you can give fruit as healthy snack, with water and sugarless fruit juice for your little one.

Do the following things for healthy and strong teeth

Consume nutritious food

To have healthy and strong teeth, your children need to have a healthy diet rich in vitamin, calcium and protein. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy product, green vegetables, and fruits are some nutritious food you can prepare for your children. Don’t forget to pay attention to your children’s vitamin and mineral intake. Vitamin and mineral can be derived from milk, butter, cheese, broccoli, tofu, tempeh, soy bean, fish and egg.

Brushing your teeth

Bear in mind that keeping your oral health can start even before any teeth erupt. Clean baby’s oral cavity with clean cloth and warm water. Once your baby’s teeth erupt, start brushing the teeth. Tell your children about the importance of brushing teeth, and the consequence of bad oral hygiene. For children aged 2-6 years old, you can add fluoride enriched toothpaste. Apply a pea-sized toothpaste when brushing your baby’s teeth.

Dentist consultation

Routine dentist consultation is important to make sure the health of your children’s oral cavity, maintain strong teeth and free of tooth decay. Brushing your teeth might not be enough especially for children who like to eat sweet food and beverages.

So, it is not difficult to have healthy and strong teeth, isn’t it? Keeping a healthy oral cavity is an investment for your children’s future. Do not compromise when it comes to the health of your children!