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Charleston Pediatric Dentist Warns about Using Dried Fruits as a Snack

Feb 21, 2017

It’s easy to dismiss your child’s temporary teeth-after all, as it says in the name, they’re just temporary, and they’ll be replaced soon enough by permanent teeth. However, as your Charleston, SC pediatric dentist will tell you, temporary or baby teeth are more important to your child’s lifetime dental health than you know. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent tooth can grow early as well, and end up filling the empty space. This can make it difficult for other permanent teeth to find room when they come in. The result is crooked and overcrowded teeth. If your child does seem to have crooked teeth, you could always consider taking them to get their teeth bonded. This can make their teeth straighter, appearing more perfect. Try contacting this Dentist in Endicott, for example, to see if they can help your child.

So how else do you protect your little one’s adorable smile for the future? Even if you brush your baby’s teeth twice a day, the food that he eats can still be detrimental to his oral health. You’ll need to watch what he eats and make sure what’s on the menu is as good for his teeth as it is for his body. Unfortunately, not all foods that are good for his body are good for his teeth as well. Case in point: raisins.

According to Headlines and Global News (HNGN), one of the biggest reasons for tooth decay in children is dried fruit. More specifically, raisins. Although they are packed with vitamins needed by the body, the concentrated sugar content in these foods can lead to the onset of tooth decay in children. In addition, raisins can easily get stuck in teeth, giving harmful, decay-causing bacteria a good source of sugar for prolonged periods. If you suspect early decay, you should book an appointment. If we’re not your nearest dentist, you might want to try a Dentist in Vista or wherever you are based. If the decay is causing pain and your dental surgery is closed at the time, you may need to book an emergency appointment. As the name suggests, these should be for emergencies only. CareDash offers guidance on how to find emergency dentists near you if you are unsure of what to do.

With that being said, it does not mean that you should keep your child from eating raisins altogether, given their high nutritional content. What you can do is give your child raisins as part of a meal or dessert instead of a snack. When sugar is part of a meal, it has lower chances of affecting teeth. The trouble occurs when you allow your child to snack on sweet foods frequently. This keeps his mouth in an acidic state for longer, which increases the chances of tooth decay to occur.

To ensure sugars do as little damage as possible, brush your child’s teeth twice, floss once every day, and bring him to a Charleston pediatric dentist’s office for regular checkups and cleaning.

Source:

Raisins: Good Or Bad For Children’s Teeth?, HNGN.com

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