The holidays are a special time for everyone, especially for kids. Everything is so wondrous to them – Santa, Christmas Trees, presents, special treats. Of course too many sugar treats can play havoc on their teeth. Therefore, as your Portland dentist, I’d like to share with you some tips and recipes on how to give your kids some fun holiday treats that can actually promote healthy teeth.
Foods to support dental health
Calcium and Phosphorous
Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. It contains the highest percentage of minerals. One of the most important minerals is calcium. It helps teeth by strengthening tooth enamel. However, calcium needs phosphorous to maximize bone strengthening.
Foods that contain calcium and phosphorous:
Calcium: Green leafy vegetables, yogurt, cheese (hard, aged), seafood, milk (low-fat), tofu, almonds.
Phosphorous: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, fish, red meat, eggs, tofu
Delicious, Healthy Truffles
https://nuts.com/healthy-snacks/christmas-treats
Vitamin D
Now that we have mentioned Calcium it is important we mention Vitamin D. This vitamin is vital for your overall health. It helps your teeth absorb calcium.
Foods high in Vitamin D: fish, egg yolks, cod liver oil, spinach, kale, okra, collards, soybeans and white beans.
Healthy, Yummy Eggnog
Source: https://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-eggnog-recipe/
Fibrous fruits and vegetables
Foods with fiber stimulate saliva flow, which is a natural defense against cavities. Firstly, saliva helps wash away food particles. Secondly, after about 20 minutes of eating, saliva begins to neutralize the acids attacking your teeth. This is important because acid can leach calcium from the enamel. This can cause the protective surface of the enamel to break down. Therefore you can see that having enough saliva in the mouth is important to preventing tooth decay.
Examples of high fiber fruits and vegetables:
Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, raspberries, strawberries, mangos, persimmons.
Vegetables: Carrots, celery, broccoli, collard greens and swiss chard
Kid Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Snacks
https://kidfriendlythingstodo.com/fruit-more-non-candy-kids-christmas-party-snacks-kid-friendly-things-to-do-com/
In summary, there are lots ways to serve up healthy treats for the holidays. We hope these tips and recipe ideas help. If you’re in a pinch for time you can always put out cheese, fruit, vegetable and nut platters.
From all of us at Dr. Carothers, Family and Cosmetic Dentistry here in Portland, we wish you a Merry Christmas!
Dr. Dave