Age 0-2 | Age 3-6 | Age 7 and up

Age 7 and up

Nutrition and Snacking

Picky eaters beware: maintaining a balanced diet isn’t just vital to overall health; it’s also beneficial to oral health. Keep these tips in mind when planning a menu or packing a lunch:

• Serve sugary or starchy foods with a meal rather than by themselves as snacks. Since more saliva is released during a meal, it helps wash food particles off the teeth and decrease the risk of decay.
• Frequent snacking allows sugars to build up in the mouth, increasing the risk of decay. When your child does snack, offer nutritious options like raw veggies, plain yogurt or fresh fruit. Afterward, encourage your child to drink water to rinse away food particles.
• Avoid sticky foods, such as chewy candy. These foods are not easily washed away by a drink or saliva, so they have high cavity-causing potential.
• Read food labels to monitor your child’s sugar intake. For example, choose juice without added sugar.
• Serve your child a variety of healthy foods. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk and dairy products. Also include protein-rich foods, such as lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
• Make sure your child is getting the recommended supply of calcium. In addition to building strong bones, calcium helps keep the teeth, gums and jawbones healthy. Milk and other dairy foods are excellent sources of calcium.

For more information about nutrition and oral health, read Delta Dental’s article on “Nutrition and Oral Health“.

Dental sealants

The chewing surfaces of our back teeth are not smooth – they are covered in tiny pits and grooves. Young children – who are still learning how to best care for their teeth – often have trouble thoroughly cleaning these pits and grooves. Dental sealants form a protective layer over teeth as children learn the proper way to brush and floss. Here’s the scoop:

• Your child’s dentist may suggest your child get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in – before decay attacks the teeth. The first permanent molars – called “6 year molars” – come in between the ages of 5 and 7. The second permanent molars – “12 year molars” – come in when a child is between 11 and 14 years old.
• Babies and adults with deeply pitted molars or hard to clean teeth may also benefit from dental sealants.
• Dental sealants are an easy, effective preventive measure. Once applied, they last about 10 years, and will need to be checked periodically for chips and wear.

For more information on dental sealants, read Delta Dental’s article on “Preventive Care.”

Losing teeth

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle – POP! The first loose tooth is a childhood rite of passage – but it’s also an important part of your child’s oral health. Here’s what you need to know:

• As a permanent tooth erupts, it pushes the primary tooth out of the way. The roots of primary teeth begin to dissolve, making this process relatively painless.
• Once a primary tooth is loose, have your child wiggle it back and forth or eat hard, crunchy foods to help it along.
• Some children are nervous about losing teeth, so talk to your child about his or her concerns and encourage him or her to ask questions at the next dental visit.

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