Your dentist, Dr. Laurin Cardwell, cares about your child’s smile, which is why she encourages you to motivate your child to keep up on oral hygiene and visit the office every six months for a routine cleaning and exam. In addition, you can also help your child by keeping them on a healthy and balanced diet. In fact, when you’re making your child’s lunch, our dental team encourages you to do the following things:
-Don’t pack applesauce: Applesauce may be practical and convenient, but it’s not for the smile. This treat has natural and added sugar that can promote tooth decay. Instead of applesauce, pack a small container of cottage cheese. To make it even more delicious, have your child throw some fruit into the cottage cheese. Yum!
-Choose real fruit: It’s best to pack real fruit, like bananas, apples, and strawberries, in the lunch instead of fruit snacks and fruit leathers. These sticky treats will cling to the teeth and promote plaque buildup, which can result in tooth decay and gum disease.
-Provide plain milk: Instead of packing strawberry or chocolate milk in the lunch, provide plain milk. Plain milk will strengthen your teeth while chocolate and strawberry milk coats the teeth in sugar. If plain milk doesn’t seem appealing to your child, you can always add food coloring.
If you use our tips, there’s a chance your child could grow into the strong and successful smile they deserve. For more tips and details about how to help your child have a healthy smile in Sylva, North Carolina, please call Cardwell Family Dentistry today at 828-631-3567. We are more than happy to give you the information you need so your child can be successful!