Diet

Excerpt from "Your Child's Teeth: Helpful Tips for Parents and Caregivers", by the American Dental Association:

A good diet is essential for a child’s growth and development. Like the rest of the body, the teeth, bones and the soft tissues of the mouth need a well-balanced diet. The pre-school years are an important time to help your child establish good eating habits. Children should eat a variety of foods from the five major food groups in line with the food pyramid:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Breads, cereals and other grain products
• Milk, cheese and yogurt
• Meat, poultry, fish, and alternates, such as dry beans and peas, eggs and nuts

What you eat and how often you eat it can affect your teeth. Although tooth decay has declined among young children as a group, it still can be a problem for individual children, and even teens and adults. That’s because plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, constantly forms on our teeth. When we eat food or beverages that contain sugar or starch, the bacteria produces acids that attack tooth enamel. The stickiness of plaque keeps the harmful acids against the teeth, which can contribute to tooth decay. Other factors that promote tooth decay are the amount of bacteria in your mouth and lack of exposure to fluoride.

Limit snacks. If your child does need a snack between meals, offer nutritious foods from the main food groups.