A diet high in certain kinds of carbohydrates, such as sugar and starches, may place your child at extra risk for tooth decay.
A: First, be sure they have a balanced diet. Then, check how frequently they eat foods with sugar or starch in them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and snacks, such as pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar bowl and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugar, and all types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables, and most milk products have at least one type of sugar.
Sugar can be found in many processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet. For example, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly, but may have sugar added to the peanut butter. Sugar is also added to such condiments as ketchup and salad dressings.
Q: Should my child give up all foods with sugar or starch?
A: Certainly not! Many provide nutrients your child needs. You simply need to select and serve them wisely.
- A food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it is eaten with a meal, not as a snack.
- Sticky foods, such as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed away from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. Therefore, they have more cavity-causing potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth.
