Healthy Habits Start Early!
Last month we talked about how to keep your smile for over 100 years! How about doing that by getting off to a good start early on? Recently the American Dental Association (ADA)'s website posted an article entitled "6 Ways to Reduce Your Child’s Sugary Snacking". To read the article in its entirety or to learn more about the science and studies referenced in our summary you can click here! Below are the six tips the ADA recommends and we at Maryann Lehmann, DDS stand by too.
1. Daily Maximum Amount of Added Sugar: natural sugars are OK but it's the added sugars to be mindful of. The FDA recommends anyone 3 years old+ should consume 12-50 grams of added sugar in one day.
2. Sugary Drinks: Reach for water or milk first! Kids 1-6 years old should try to have only one juice box a day (4-6 oz.), and kids 7-18 years old should try for two boxes max each day (8-12 oz.). Do NOT sip on a high-sugar drink throughout the day! This puts you at high risk for tooth decay because "you're giving that cavity-causing bacteria more opportunities to eat and produce the acid that eats away at teeth.".
3. NO Soda: Did you know that a can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar? That is a person's Daily Maximum Amount of Added Sugar! Soda also causes tooth erosion, as concluded by the Journal of the American Dental Association in February 2016.
4. Sticky Sweets: Fruit snacks are an obvious, hard pass because of the sticky chewy sugars that stay on your teeth. Dried fruits can be troublesome too! “The raisin is one of the worst foods because they’re so sticky and they actually adhere to teeth and stay there for an extended amount of time...The sugar in that food is being consumed by the bacteria in our mouth during that time.”
5. Crunchy Carbs are Sugar Too: Cookies and crackers can get stuck in the tops of your teeth for long periods of time turning into sugar and potentially eating away at our tooth enamel.
6. Parents and Caretakers, Lead By Example: "Eat well, brush twice a day for two minutes, and clean between your teeth once a day."
3. NO Soda: Did you know that a can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar? That is a person's Daily Maximum Amount of Added Sugar! Soda also causes tooth erosion, as concluded by the Journal of the American Dental Association in February 2016.
4. Sticky Sweets: Fruit snacks are an obvious, hard pass because of the sticky chewy sugars that stay on your teeth. Dried fruits can be troublesome too! “The raisin is one of the worst foods because they’re so sticky and they actually adhere to teeth and stay there for an extended amount of time...The sugar in that food is being consumed by the bacteria in our mouth during that time.”
5. Crunchy Carbs are Sugar Too: Cookies and crackers can get stuck in the tops of your teeth for long periods of time turning into sugar and potentially eating away at our tooth enamel.
6. Parents and Caretakers, Lead By Example: "Eat well, brush twice a day for two minutes, and clean between your teeth once a day."
We'd like to add one more thing - bring your child in to us by age 3! We will not only clean their teeth but talk with them about these healthy habits.