We all know that candy and sweets can rot our kids’ teeth, but did you know it’s not the amount of sugar they consume, but how frequently they eat it? And if your kids are like ours, it’s hard to tame their sweet cravings around the holidays, especially with all the candy in the grocery stores, kids’ lunch boxes, and bowls around the home. That’s why it’s so important to keep their snacking in check by monitoring your kid’s holiday sweet intake. By restricting the number of treats your kids eat around the holidays, you can help keep their teeth cavity-free. Otherwise, this can happen!
Plaque Formation
Bacteria loves sugar and carbohydrates as much as we do. And as soon as your kids take their first bite into a holiday sweet, the bacteria in their mouth start to produce acids. It’s these acids that rob the teeth of minerals and forms plaque.
Cavities and Gum Disease
Decay starts with plaque, which leads to tartar that causes cavities and gum disease. Fortunately, there’s a window of time to remove the bacteria before it can turn to plaque. That’s why it’s so important for you to monitor your kid's festive treat intake and remind them to brush their teeth right after eating sweets. This will allow them to remove any of the decay-causing acids and bacteria and remineralize their teeth with toothpaste.
Tooth Decay
You can’t always see what your kids are up to at school, but you can monitor what they eat at home. By monitoring how frequently your child eats foods with sugar and starch, you can effectively decrease their chances of tooth decay and enamel erosion. By allowing your child one treat each day around the holidays, you can keep them happy and their teeth protected at the same time.
You Can Limit Your Kids’ Sugar Consumption this Season By:
Establishing Some Sugar Rules
Whether it’s desserts, snacks, those batches of baked goods you made or other treats at holiday get-togethers, a helpful way to limit how much sugar the kids eat is by establishing a few sugar rules. Set a limit each day so they can pick out what they want to have and then that’s it for the day. You could also set a cut off time so they’re not eating sugar too close to bedtime. Just remember that it is the holidays, so you can give them a little wiggle room here and there.
Eat a Healthy, Filling Meal Beforehand
To prevent the kids from woofing down their sugary treats all at once, another good strategy is to feed them a healthy meal beforehand.
Plan Some Play Time Beforehand
We know that sugary treat can make kids really hyper afterwards. To help reduce this, plan some playtime and exercise prior to eating so the sugar won’t completely overload them.
Add Some Fruit
Eating sweets treats leads to cravings for more sugar. Instead of going for more junk food, try swapping in some fruit. This will help curb their cravings with some natural sugar and vitamins.
Meal Prep
Often, when we’re hungry and need to eat something asap, we reach for the first or easiest thing we can find, which tends to be something unhealthy. By planning out meals and snacks, you can have items ready to grab and eat so you and the kids are less tempted to go for the sugar.
Tips to Protect Your Kids Teeth During the Holidays:
Avoid Pop and Drink Water Instead
Try to avoid giving the kids pop on top of all of the sweet treats they’ll be eating over the holidays. Pop and juice contain a lot of sugar. So if you combine them with other sources of sugar, it can be an overload for their teeth. Give them water instead.
Floss and Brush Routinely
Don’t skip out on brushing or flossing during the holidays. With an abundance of indulgences, it’s an important time to keep up with good oral hygiene.
Visit the Dentist
Visiting the dentist soon after the holiday season is an ideal time to give the kids a check-up to get their teeth professionally cleaned and examined.
To ensure that your child maintains good dental health throughout the holidays, it’s crucial to follow the steps listed above. Let them enjoy their treats, just be sure to bring them to our office at Carlingwood Dental as soon as the holidays are over so we can give their teeth a thorough inspection and cleaning to prevent decay and cavities. To learn more helpful tips for kids or to schedule your next family appointment, contact us today!
