Have you ever had cavities? I did. Healthy teeth start with the best foods for dental health and daily teeth and gum care. I talked to one of the leading practicing dentists Dr. Steven Lin who wrote a book DENTAL DIET.
Living in times when crippling oral diseases prevail more and more, Dr. Lin decided to explore the subject of the causality of cavities, bleeding gums, and crooked teeth. What he discovered was that our modern medicine is very good at fixing these problems. However, it is failing to prevent oral disease.
Thus one of the most vital things that parents and grandparents could do for their children and grandchildren is to prevent oral diseases and infections.
How to Prevent Tooth Decay
Dr. Steven Lin talks to his patients about creating a lifestyle that will naturally prevent cavities and make teeth resilient to decay and gum diseases. The approach is through foods, toothpaste options, good sleep and physical activity on the regular basis.
Best Foods for Healthy Teeth
The foods that create a strong foundation for strong and healthy teeth are rich in calcium, zinc, phosphorus, protein, antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin A, folate, and Omega-3 DHA to mention the top 10 nutrients. The foods rich in these essential for the teeth and gums health are found in many fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and beans, and fermented products.
– Onions have been proven to be a fantastic food for healthy gums because they neutralize oral bacteria
– Leafy greens
– Green tea
– Peppers and citrus fruits
– Shiitake mushrooms
– Celery, carrots, and apples
– Milk, yogurt, and cheese
Best Toothpaste for Children
Taking your child shopping for their toothpaste could be one of the most powerful experiences developing a sense of what to look for in a personal care product before they buy.
With a thousands of personal care and oral care products on the market, it is essential to teach our children what to look for in those products. Taking into an account individual health, it is our responsibility as a parent to give our children the skills to decipher what is safe and what needs to be left alone.
One of our favorites among natural toothpastes is SprinJene Natural toothpaste that comes in flavors to live for! You can buy this toothpaste in Apple Mint, Vanilla and Watermelon.
SprinJene toothpaste has been developed to protect against cavities and thwart inflammation. It easily freshens your child’s mouth with the flavor that is mild and pleasant. You will notice on the package that each tube of SprinJene Natural toothpaste contains a patented formula of black seed oil and zinc! You can buy this toothpaste HERE.
Benefits of Handcrafted Natural Toothpaste
– Helps with Dry Mouth
– Provides Sensitivity Relief
– Fights Gum Disease aka Gingivitis
– Controls the Growth of Tartar
– Reduces Gum Inflammation
The power behind black seed oil is its phytochemicals that inhibit growth of pathogens and microbes. These phytochemicals are strong fighters against fungus and yeast.
Zinc works as a natural antibacterial agent to help prevent the growth of bacteria. In addition to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help fight gingivitis (gum disease), Black Seed Oil causes the Zinc to adhere to teeth and gums and keep working long after your brush your teeth.
I appreciate that SprinJene toothpaste comes with and without fluoride options. To let you into a secret, I love this toothpaste myself and use it daily!
Every of SprinJene handcrafted toothpaste formulas is certified Gluten FREE, Vegan, Kosher and Halal for people of all lifestyles and beliefs. The toothpaste does not contain SLS, Artificial Preservatives and Dyes, Saccharin, Animal Byproducts.
Halloween Treats to Limit Your Child from Eating
Every Halloween is a fun affair, as we dress up and collect candy having a great time. These are very memorable times while growing up. To make these memories more colorful, we need to work with our children to instill an understanding that filling their bellies with candy is not an option for a fun party.
To give you an idea what sweet treats can do to an oral health of your child, take a look at these bad sweets for teeth.
– Hard candies are nearly pure sugar so have some of the highest amounts of sugar in them
– Liquid candies have a very high concentration of sugar due to the amount that can dissolve in a liquid.
– Sticky candies – avoid them at all times, because they take longer to chew an expose the mouth to sugar for longer. In addition, they can pull out the tooth fillings and expose your child’s teeth to bacteria.
– Unnatural coloring or additives – these additions aren’t real food and really are to make candy look fun and appetizing. The result for your kid is that they eat chemicals that are unfamiliar to their little body.
4 Strategies for Parents to Keep Their Kid’s Teeth Healthy
At Halloween and Beyond
Don’t let your kids trick or treat on an empty stomach
Sugar can interrupt hunger signals that stop your child from feeling full or satisfied. Make sure that they have a hearty meal before going out for a night of trick-or-treating. This will assist them to be satisfied and prevent sugar driving their feeding response.
Pack water into your kids trick and treat bag so they can hydrate
With all the excitement, kids can forget to take water in. Sugars are far more likely to do damage in a low saliva dry mouth. Make sure your kids have lots of water to keep their saliva flushing their mouths.
Don’t scrub your kid’s teeth directly after candy
Once the candy haul has finished, you may be tempted take your kids straight to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Resist this urge. Cleaning their teeth directly after eating sugary food can damage the enamel which may be soft. Make sure your kids flush their mouth with water after eating candy and wait for at least thirty minutes before brushing their teeth.
Fill the Halloween bags with candy based on REAL food
Here’s the most important way to keep your kid’s teeth healthy. Instead of refined sugar and additive-based candy’s you can make sure they eat more wholesome treats based on foods that actually strengthen their teeth. These include:
• Dark chocolate is low sugar and is far better than just a candy bar. With a good dose of fat, instead of sugar, dark chocolate is a teeth friendly snack!
• Nuts and nut butter: Candy or chocolate with nuts are a source of fiber and satisfying fats. Your kid will eat far less and be much more satisfied.
• Coconut and coconut oil: Any treat based on coconut oil is a dentist’s dream. High in belly-filling fat and sweet tasting, it’s the perfect way to replace sugar-laden treats.
• Butter and full-cream: Sweets based with full-fat dairy are again more satisfying and full of bone and teeth growing nutrients.
Remember, to raise kids with a great smile, their everyday food habits are the real key to great dental health. With your personal example and age-appropriate explanation, your child will grow up a responsible individual knowing how to make choices for the best foods for dental health.
Best Manual Toothbrushes
Without doubt our teeth call for quality care every day. How we brush and floss, what cleansing and preventative products for oral care we use will show up in our overall health.
When looking for a toothbrush for a child or yourself, pay attention to the quality of bristles. The toothbrush bristles need to be far-reaching to clean the hard-reaching during brushing. Yet the a toothbrush must be gentle for tooth enamel as well.
One of the best manual toothbrushes for both kids and adults are from Dr. Plotka, a renowned dentist and inventor. He is the one who pioneered tooth sealants, dental bonding, same-day crown fabrication, laser drilling and sleep-apnea detection. As you see the entire dental industry has been using these inventions perfecting them and making them avail able to masses.
Doctor Plotka’s toothbrush is a highly-recommended daily brush for the entire family.
Why to Use Doctor Plotka’s Antimicrobial Toothbrush
It is a fact that a toothbrush has millions of bacteria and micro-organisms breeding off the food particles left on the toothbrush after brushing. Without regular sanitizing, a toothbrush can become the breeding grounds for pathogens that have access to our heart, lungs and any organ they choose to attack.
Doctor Plotka’s toothbrush has been designed with naturally antimicrobial silver-infused bristles. You may know that silver and colloidal silver have been used for a long time to thwart pathogens and considerably lower colds and flu symptoms.
By using a toothbrush with antimicrobial bristles, you eliminate bacterial cross-contamination and re-introduction of new pathogens into your oral cavity. Doctor Plotka’s toothbrush eliminates 99.9% of bacteria growth on the brush within 6 hours of use. Wow, it gives peace of mind that we don’t need to do any extra cleansing and sanitizing to these brushes!
A Toothbrush With Flossing Bristles
Another unique quality and feature of the Doctor Plotka’s toothbrush is its thin bristles. In fact, they are 10 times thinner than its couterparts in other toothbrushes. When you brush, Doctor Plotka’s toothbrush reaches in deep grooves and cleans in-between teeth so well. These are the spots and places where 95% of cavities develop.
Using a quality toothbrush that prevents oral diseases is the first step for an overall well-being. In addition, daily teeth flossing is a helpful way to eliminate additional deibris from the food that got locked between the teeth.
Here’s a post with TIPS on Proper Ways to Floss Teeth by the practicing dentist.
For those of you who want to whiten the teeth but could not find the appropriate solution due to teeth sensitivities.
My post on the product that works great for Whitening Sensitive Teeth is here.
Best Antibacterial Toothbrushes
Doctor Plotka's Mouthwatchers Antimicrobial Floss Bristle Silver Toothbrush, Check Card, and Timer, Children’s Gift Pack
Scientifically Designed Two-Tiered Revolutionary Flossing Bristles measure just 1 micrometer at the tip.
Long Soft Bristles remove plaque in areas that a standard toothbrush cannot reach.
Doctor Plotka's Mouthwatchers Antimicrobial Floss Bristle Silver Toothbrush, 2 Adult Manual, 2 Adult Travel
Using this antibacterial toothbrush is like using a sterile toothbrush every single time you brush. Microbes die within a 6-hour period after brushing the teeth.
Mouthwatchers Antimicrobial Floss Bristle Silver Toothbrush, Adult, 4 Pack
Each of these Doctor Plotka's toothbrushes can be used for 4 months. That is 33% more than any other brand.
36 thoughts on “How To Keep Healthy Teeth And Gums In Kids Plus Toothpaste for Every Day”
Toothache is very painful. I can barely imagine my child having it or me. Thanks for the tips and for reminding to take care of it.
Ryan,
Agree with that statement. I remember my childhood when the techniques of painless procedures were not that available.
With our firstborn, I didn’t know about tooth decay and how juice and fruits could impact it. It was a tough lesson to learn.
Fatima,
Same here. We paid dearly for that misinformation. I would make it a must-have instruction for all new moms to learn about tooth decay and the reasons behind it.
These are some wonderful tips. I think it’s great to have everyone keep up with their teeth and keeping them healthy. My family always gets checkups and brushes and flosses each day. I think it’s really important.
Kathy,
Your family still is in the minority. We need more facts and public education about tooth decay and how to avoid it.
This sounds like a nice toothpaste. My son needs a natural toothpaste as SLS gives him mouthsores.
Tara,
Oh how many toothpastes we’ve gone through with my kids! Finally, we were able to zero down to two brands that are mentioned in my post that work wonders for their oral care.
I really love how in-depth this post was. Healthy teeth are so important, especially for kids. When they start out early, they’ll learn to take care of their teeth for a lifetime.
I don’t have children myself, but will share this post with a few of my friends who do. I am sure they’ll find it very useful x
Thank you, Becca.
If I knew what I know now with my first kiddo. Wow, huge pain and dental expenses could have been avoided.
I know this post is for kids but I just learned something. I had no idea onion was good for teeth good to know.
Kiwi,
These are the facts and products that can work for adults, especially for those with sensitivities.
Honestly, I knew there are foods out there that are great for your teeth, but I did not think yogurt was one of them. You learn something new every day.
Danielle,
Sure we do learn more when our minds are open to receive.
These are great tips! I will share this with my sister, my sister is a bit worried about my niece’s teeth.
These are some really helpful tips, especially about nutrition. We’re doing what we can to keep our children’s teeth and gums healthy, but it’s hard to stay on top of it and instill good habits.
Anne Marie,
It’s true that daily life can easily take away the time and effort to educate and supervise our kids about oral care.
I’ve learned a ton with my first child, and keep learning and discovering wonder edu pieces about oral care products.
Great post these tips are so so important~
Great tips! keeping my kids’ teeth healthy is really very important to me!
Thanks for tooth paste tips! It’s so important for me to have healthy teeth for me and my kid!
I had no idea that brushing immediately after eating candy is bad. I don’t think I have done it that often but still, interesting fact.
Rachel,
I did not know that either until I spoke to the dentist who has been caring for children’s teeth and leading a study on foods that affect children’s enamel.
Yikes! I didn’t know that about brushing after candy may damage the enamel if it’s too soon. The things I learn every day…
Keeping teeth healthy is so important. I didn’t realize you should wait to brush your teeth after eating.
I do think genetics play into oral health as well. I didn’t have a cavity until I was 19 years old. My hubbie’s mouth is one big cavity – Im hoping my kids get my teeth
Since I’m not a parent, I never think of stuff like this so it is nice to read up on. Dental hygiene is important!
Excellent tips! I need to check out this toothpaste. We use natural now, but I am always game to explore new varieties.
This is a very informative post on kids’ dental health. It’s important to start them young and get them into the habit of brushing their teeth.
This is a really great post. I like how you have been able to let us know what foods are best to keep cavities away and to give us some tips of Halloween bags too!
Great post! I did not know that you shouldn’t brush little teeth right after the Halloween candy feast! I know this happened a few times during their childhoods. There’s a lot of great info here!
Dominique,
This fact alone is worth our time to share it with our children.
Thanks for such a great details on dental health. I am a first time mom and my little one has few teeth and I am worried about his dental health. How soon you start brushing your toddlers teeth?
Urvi,
You can start cleaning your baby’s teeth by wiping with a soft cloth or brushing with a small soft toothbrush and water. My Pediatric Dentist recommended to start using a pea sized amount of low-fluoride toothpaste to brush my baby’s teeth around 18-month of age.
I have always loved brushing my teeth! I find celery has become a big fav of mine! Such a great post.
Thank you for this information. Good dental health starts at a young age and many children with poor dental health have problems as adults.