A healthy diet is made up of foods that naturally supply all the nutrients your child needs to grow. You may be thinking, what does my child’s diet have to do with their dental health? A balanced diet directly supports proper tooth development, prevents tooth decay and helps maintain healthy gum tissue.

Scroll to the bottom of this article for a chance to win a $125 Kroger gift card for an overflowing cart full of healthy foods!

Children who intake a high level of sugar or starch can be at a higher risk for tooth decay. Pay attention to how frequently your child eats starchy foods such as breads, crackers, pasta, pretzels or potato chips.

Sugar is an ingedient in many more items than just candy and baked goods; it can be found in majority of processed foods and some foods that are not even sweet to the taste. All sugars promote dental decay, but added sugars (not those from healthy fruits and veggies) have more cavity-causing potential.

However, this does not mean that your child must completely give up these foods containing sugar and starch. Many of these foods still provide nutrients that your child needs to grow and develop.

Tooth-Friendly Snacks

We polled some of the Leap Pediatric Dental kid’s moms and asked them to share their kiddos favorite, yet nutritious, snacks. Here were some of our favorites:

Plan your child’s meals and snacks wisely, making sure to include balanced portions of fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, beans, milk and meat. You can find more ideas for tooth-friendly, healthy snacks for little ones right here.

Signs of Tooth Decay

Be sure to brush and floss your child’s teeth after every meal. A few symptoms or warning signs of tooth decay are:

  • Brown or black spots on the teeth.
  • Bleeding or swollen gums.
  • Fever, swelling or irritability, which could indicate infection.
  • Bad breath.

If you would like more information about how your child’s diet is affecting their oral health, make sure to contact your pediatric dentist.

Giveaway!

To help you purchase those nutritious and tooth-healthy foods, Leap Pediatric Dental and Little Rock Family are giving away two $125 Kroger gift cards! Your pantry can be full to the brim with fruits, veggies and other healthy snacks.

Just click here to enter!