No parent wants to find out that his or her children are suffering from pesky dental cavities. They can be uncomfortable or downright painful, and left unaddressed they can lead to painful tooth infections or even the need for extraction. Unfortunately, nearly 1/3 of school-aged children in America will struggle with dental decay, like cavities. Cavities can develop as a result of poor hygiene, underlying health conditions, hereditary factors, an unhealthy diet, a failure to receive regular professional dental care, or a combination of the above. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help protect your kids’ smiles from cavities, as well as other dental problems.
Take a Look at Your Diet
For many families, a healthy diet means cutting back on sugar intake. Limiting obvious desserts and sweet treats can certainly help. However, if you and your kids are in the habit of enjoying processed goods, you need to be careful. Many packaged goods are laden with sugar, which can contribute to cavity development.
If sugar in any form is listed as a leading ingredient, it’s best to opt for something with less sugar content.
A healthy diet should be comprised mostly of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits, lean proteins and healthy fat sources, like walnuts and avocado, and whole grains just as examples. These foods can help give your body all the nutrients it needs, and these items tend to be naturally low in sugar, as well.
Just make sure you are also drinking plenty of water, which is essential to oral health, and avoiding sugary beverages, which can be particularly problematic since they tend to spend longer amounts of time on teeth than foods do. Allergy medications will also affect dental health. Mainly because they often cause dry mouth.
Ready to Schedule Preventive Dental Treatment?
Many dental problems such as cavities go undetected. They just don’t hurt at all. so how would you know if you had a problem? That is what regular checkups are for.
Preventive treatment helps to protect both the teeth and gums from common problems. You can schedule your next dental appointment with Dr. Fondriest by calling Lake Forest Dental Arts at (847) 234-0517. We welcome patients from the North Shore area of Chicago.