3 Tips to Help Keep Your Child's Smile Safe

The Western World is currently facing a childhood obesity epidemic that has threatened adolescent populations with a myriad of health issues including increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and type II diabetes. Public health authorities and community stakeholders have pushed back hard against advertising companies who had previously targeted children with sugar-loaded snacks draped in the names and faces of their favourite cartoon characters. This movement targeted sugary foods as the culprit for rising levels of childhood obesity, but this sweet substance has also been fingered as the leading antagonist for failing oral health among adolescents. Over 26,000 primary school children were admitted to the hospital for tooth decay in the past year, suggesting that parents could use a few tips to reduce their child's exposure to sugar. Read on for 3 simple tips to improve your child's oral health care outcomes.  

• Make brushing fun. When faced with the choice between allowing their child to eat a more sugary food option, such as fruit, or having their child refuse to eat, most parents will concede to their child's wishes. There is nothing wrong with this, especially since fruits have a variety of oral health-boosting properties, but even natural sugars must be brushed away. Find a fun song for your child to brush along to, and join them in their morning and evening routine to make it fun.

• Limit sugary foods to meal-times. Try to choose low-sugar snacks for your child. Some classic favourites include nuts, carrots or celery and dip, or a spoonful of peanut or almond butter. If your child must have a sugary snack, try to fit it into regular mealtime so that their teeth are not exposed to sugars throughout the day when brushing and rinsing is not likely. 

• Educate yourself on nutrition. Most parents aren't aware of the amount of sugar contained in a glass of fruit juice, or that even fat-free yogurt is brimming with added sweeteners. Always read the labels on foods and try to cut out excess sugar where possible. Your child is depending entirely on you to provide them with adequate nutrition. 

What Foods to Avoid Over the Holidays

Holiday spreads offer a lot of variety for the enthusiastic seasonal snacker, but scattered across festive table cloths are a variety of foods that should be avoided at all costs! Nobody is suggesting that you deprive yourself or kids of festive treats, but making oral health-conscious choices can save you the stress of facing a dental bill in the holiday aftermath. Read on to learn about which festive foods put your oral health at high risk! 

• Wine – Most people see no issue with having a festive glass or two of wine to toast the holidays, but proceed with caution! Red wine is a notorious staining solution, but many people would be surprised to learn that even white wine can be problematic, as its acidity causes enamel to deteriorate. Try to have your glasses of wine over dinner, rather than sipping on it throughout the evening, as this prolonged exposure will increase your chances of staining and erosion. Drink your wine and wash it down with a tall glass of water. 

• Sweet treats – Sugar is a prime culprit for dental decay and cavity formation. The holiday season abounds with sugary treats, from pudding, candy-canes, and clementines, to even the dreaded fruit cake. Try to resist the temptation where possible, and to either rinse thoroughly or brush when you find yourself indulging. Your children will be receiving lots of candy this time of year, ensure they are eating it in moderation and not frequently throughout the day. Try and have them drink water if possible while enjoying their sweets. 

• Pop or soda – Most adults will steer clear of carbonated high-sugar soda-pop throughout the year, but may indulged when the holidays roll around and mixed alcoholic drinks are being poured. Try to avoid the rum-and-Coke if possible, and opt instead for a gin and tonic, or some other beverage that uses a soda water in place of syrupy pop. Steer your kids away from pop and sugary drinks, try replacing with a flavoured water instead. 

Smile-Survival Tips to Get Your Teeth Through the Holiday Spread

Turkey, gingerbread, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire – it is obvious that food is important over the holidays. One of the central components of a big seasonal celebration is the holiday spread. Many people submit to packing on a few extra pounds over the holidays, but indulging doesn't have to mean trouble for your teeth as well. Read on for some simple guidelines to help steer you towards the spread's smile-friendly offerings. 

• Say cheese! Most respectable holiday gatherings will include the customary cheese-and-cracker tray. Holiday snackers will be happy to hear that cheese gets the nod of approval from the Woodbridge Dental team, as its calcium-rich nutrient profile promotes tooth health, while also creating an ideal PH balance in your mouth to offset the damages wrought by wine's acidity. 

• Nut-up for the holidays. When your hands are hovering over the snack bar, try to resist the chips and candies. Instead, encourage a move towards the obligatory bowl of mixed nuts. Packed with calcium, vitamin D, folic acid, iron, and much more, nuts are a great dietary choice for oral health, and will fill you up quickly so that you can resist the sugary snacks. 

• Eat your vegetables. Forget the holidays – most party spreads in general are incomplete without crudités, the traditional French appetizer made up of an array of raw chopped veggies served with a dipping sauce. Broccoli and carrots promote strong oral health because their vitamin A-rich nutrient profile builds strong enamel, and because chomping on raw veggies both cleans your teeth and stimulates healthy blood flow. 

Top Take-Away to Avoid For Tooth Health

The cold Canadian winter has settled over us now, and as the days begin to shorten, so too does our patience for cooking. Nothing can sap your motivation to fire up the stove and launch into home-cooked meal preparation quite like arriving home in the dark and cold. Similarly, the snow-slicked roads have discouraged many people from making the drive out to their favourite restaurant, making take-out food a very appealing option. Italian, Indian, and Chinese fare is only a phone call away, and can be ordered from under a particularly cozy blanket. Before you make the call, though, have you ever considered how these foods rank in terms of their effect on your oral health? Read on to see how international fare stacks up in your dentist's eyes! 

Italian food - a perfect storm to wreak oral health havoc!

Commonly comprised of white dough-based pasta and pizza slathered in rich and acidic tomato sauces, Italian food can be trouble for your mouth's condition if eaten carelessly. White dough is a highly-refined carbohydrate that is predominantly made up of simple sugars. Worse still, their high gluten consistency puts every chewy bite at risk of getting lodged between teeth, putting the sugars in prime problem areas. Adding to the risk, the acid content of tomato sauce can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel. If you are in the mood for Italian this evening, be sure to floss away the gummy high-gluten sugars, and to brush away acidic tomato residue. 

Indian and Chinese – sweet, salty, and spicy tooth-staining tyrants!

Everybody knows the staining potential of wine, tea, and coffee, but did you know that any pigment-rich foods risk discolouring your smile? Curry powder is a prime suspect in serial teeth-staining cases, with its deep yellow, red, and green hue. Richly-coloured sauces, whether they be an orange-red sweet-and-sour, or a simply black soy, are both highly likely to stain teeth. Keep a glass of water handy for rinsing, and try to choose an appetizer of cruciferous greens like beef-and-broccoli or a spinach dish, as these vegetables form protective layers on the teeth that can ward off staining.