The ABC’s of a Child’s Healthy Teeth Diet

Eating for Two

With Center For Dentistry, you can learn more about how your child’s diet has an impact on the development of strong and healthy teeth. From newborns to their early teens, a proper diet has a definite impact on the development of strong teeth. Contact the Center For Dentistry for more information, but for now here are the ABC’s of a Child’s Healthy Teeth Diet.

A baby’s tooth buds begin to form between the fifth and sixth weeks of pregnancy. What you eat during this time nourishes the baby’s development. Unless the doctor advises otherwise, expectant moms should eat a balanced diet with foods high in calcium and phosphorous – key building blocks for healthy baby’s teeth.

Birth to 2 Years

Sucking is an important part of facial muscle development, and it is important not to take the bottle away too early. But to avoid baby bottle tooth decay, don’t give bottles at naps or bedtimes. By the time the baby reaches the age of one, you may be weaning him or her off the bottle and encouraging your child to drink from a cup. As your child nears the magic age of two, he or she has been introduced to relatives, babysitters, and friends. In other words, what is put into the child’s mouth is no longer totally influenced by Mom and Dad. Eating patters and habits – good and not so good – are beginning to develop. Watch your child’s sweets intake.

3 to 6 Years

Eating habits that are formed during this period will have long lasting consequences for your child’s teeth. Don’t let your toddler sip on soft drinks, suck on sweets, etc. When given a choice, children will usually choose the food that is high in sugar. Give them healthy snack food alternatives.

17 to 12 Years

Now is the time when your early ‘good eating” training will come in handy. Kids’ diets tend to take a dive at this age. Between snacks at the friends’ homes and tempting TV commercials, it is close to impossible to monitor what they eat.  Educate yourself and your children. Explain what foods are not healthy for teeth (acid in juice drinks and sodas, for example). Read labels and look at the sugar content. Every five grams of sugar equals one teaspoon of table sugar. That’s eight to 19 teaspoons of sugar in each 12-ounce can of cola.

13 to 19 Years

This is a tough age for any intervention from Mom and Dad. Many teenagers are drinking three to four sodas a day and have plenty of pocket change left over to load up on fast foods, donuts and a variety of decay producing snacks. Promote water and sugarless gum in the place of sodas and sweets. Also, at his age, teens are at risk for catching decay or cum disease from their friends.  Explain this and caution them not to drink (or eat) from someone else’s cup bottle or straw.

< back to Kids' Teeth

Excerpted with the author's permission from "I Hate Dentists! The Feel-Good Guide to Going to the Dentist" We invite you to stop in with your child, and tour our office. We will be happy to give you a copy of "From Womb to Wisdom", a guide about caring for your children's teeth. We strongly recommend that such an introductory visit occur at around age 12 months. Please call ahead to make sure we are available for your tour.