Teeth Friendly Snacks

Brushing, flossing and regular visits to your dentist at Bite Size Pediatric Dentistry in Frankfort, IL and Oak Lawn, IL are some of the best ways to keep a healthy smile. But our diet also plays a huge role in our dental health!

Eating foods like fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and calcium-rich foods like cheese are just a couple examples of foods that promote healthy gums and teeth. Foods high in fiber require extra chewing, which promotes saliva production. Saliva helps to cleanse our teeth. Foods high in calcium help to strengthen our tooth’s enamel.

Here are a few snacks that are tooth and gum friendly:

• Cheese – low in sugar, high in calcium
• Yogurt – high in calcium, contains probiotics to help protect against gum disease and cavities
• Fibrous fruits – chewing fibrous fruits such as pears or apples help clean our teeth and also increase saliva production which washes away leftover food and plaque (food and plaque left on the surface of teeth produce acids which eat away at our tooth structure, causing cavities)
• Vegetables – chewing crunchy veggies like carrots or celery promote saliva production (washes away food/plaque)
• Nuts – nuts such as almonds and cashews contain elements to fight cavity causing bacteria. Nuts are also low in carbohydrates which means they have a low cavity risk. When carbs interact with bacteria in the mouth, this forms acid which is what causes cavities.
• Water – no sugar and helps to wash away food and plaque. It is recommended to drink plenty of water throughout the day for proper hydration but also helps rinse our mouth 🙂

As we prepare for packing school lunches very soon, consider adding some of these teeth approved snacks to your little ones lunch!