Water Only in Sippy Cups

Raising healthy kids these days is difficult, especially in a day and age when soft drinks, fast food, and fatty foods are the most common fare.  A few different ways exist to help get your kids off to a great start in both oral and overall health. One way is to put only water in sippy cups instead of juice. Switching to water in sippy cups with meals is the best way to ensure that baby teeth are healthy.

Though sippy cups are often filled with juice and sugary drinks, water is a great choice. Not only is water a better source of constant hydration, but it also protects the teeth from being continually coated in sugar and acid found in fruit juices. Fruit juice is high in natural sugar, which is just as hard on teeth as the refined sugars we use in baking.  Most children prefer sugary drinks due to the yummy flavors.  But when given nothing but water, it is far more likely that they will develop a taste for water and possibly a taste for healthier choices. Some parents claim that their children will not drink water. However, children are incredibly adaptive and when given water instead of sugary drinks, they will often choose what is easiest. Children are very versatile and will often drink whatever a parent gives them.  You may have a bit of fighting at first if your children are used to sugary drinks in their sippy cups.

Although switching their drinks to water is a great way to prevent cavities in baby teeth and adult teeth that are forming, dentist visits are still necessary for children. When it comes to the dental health of children, general dentist visits may be helpful but it is always better to go to a kids' dentist. Visiting a kids’ dentist has a few different benefits. The first is that they know how to work with children. Dealing with children is different than dealing with adults. An experienced kids’ dentist will be practiced in a kid-friendly approach. The second is that little mouths and baby teeth require slightly different care than adult teeth. A kids’ dentist, like a pediatrician, is accustomed to these differences.

Yearly cleanings and checkups can help prevent any damage that may occur from improper care. Making sure that baby teeth are brushed, kept clean, and maintained is the best way to insure that the health of the growing adult teeth is as good as possible. In order for adult teeth to remain healthy as they grow, it is important that baby teeth are cared for properly. Switching children to water instead of juice or sugary drinks can help maintain the health of baby teeth to ensure that adult teeth get a healthy start.

Kids Dental Health: Vending Machines in Schools

Obesity, bad eating habits, and unhealthy food choices do not necessarily originate at home. Parents are not always the ones influencing their children's unhealthy dietary intake. It could be, perhaps, the vending machines at school. Children are tempted by the items they see inside the vending machines in their schools. The result of unhealthy or sugary snacks can impact kids’ dental health as well as their overall well-being.

It is hard for them to resist so many unhealthy snacks when they are exposed to them every single day. Children with a few dollars in their pockets are tempted with chocolate candy bars, greasy potato chips, and acid filled sodas. These foods fall in the category of non-nutritious snacks, because they offer little or no nutritional value.

Schools can influence their students’ diets if they consider putting healthier food choices in their vending machines. Apples, oranges, milk, juices, and even multi-grain fruit bars are better food choices. Foods such as these aid children and their parents in more than one way.

The Vending Machine and Its Impact on Children

Vending machines containing junk foods actually influence children to eat unhealthily. When children are hungry and want a quick snack, they have to settle for what they can get. The choices they have to choose from are the ones that the vending machines provide. Schools can control what goes into the vending machines, but only if they choose to do so.

Bad eating habits lead children to the kids’ dentist or to a general dentist office. Acidic drinks and sugary snacks destroy the tooth’s enamel and often lead to cavities and tooth decay. Parents spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on dental care to restore their children’s teeth.

How Can Parents Help if Schools Will Not?

The voices of dissatisfied parents speak louder than vending machines. Parents can demand that their children’s school remove the vending machines or, at least, replace the foods inside with healthier foods. Parents can also forbid their children not to buy certain snacks from the vending machines. However, parents can also pack their children’s lunch, making sure to include nutritious snacks that will support overall health.

Oral Health Checklist for Teens

As your child ages, especially during his or her teenage years, it will be your job to hand over the responsibility of taking care of your child's teeth. This means it will be your child who has to make sure his or her teeth are brushed after every meal. Although there is quite a bit involved in properly taking care of one's mouth, your teenager should not feel overwhelmed with dental hygiene. To make sure your child is doing all that he or she can, make sure you hang up an oral health checklist in your child's bathroom as well as regularly visiting a kids' dentist. The checklist should outline the following tips and it should be written as if it is talking directly to your teen.

·         Skip the chips and chocolate and eat an apple. Eating unhealthy foods is not only bad for your teeth, but it can be detrimental to your overall health.  Childhood obesity and diabetes are becoming more prevalent, so make sure you're making healthy food choices.

·         Please buckle up in the car. Not only will wearing a seat belt help protect your mouth, it can also save your life if you're in an accident.

·         Brush and floss after every meal.  Also consider chewing sugarless gum after each meal; this will help make your breath fresh, and it also helps to prevent tooth decay.  Did you know Xylitol, a sugar alcohol used in sugarless gum, actually kills the bacteria that cause decay! 

·         Do you have a game tonight? If so, make sure you pack your mouth guard, and more importantly, make sure you wear it during your game. You don't want your permanent teeth getting knocked out do you? Wearing a mouth guard is one of the best things you can do to protect your teeth while playing sports.

·         Forget about getting your tongue pierced. You might think it looks cool, but as you age, you may come to realize it was just a phase you were going through.   Oral piercings can damage the teeth.  To have the best dental hygiene possible, you should skip over the oral piercings.