Kids Dental Online - Plano & Carrollton

Pediatric Kids Dentist Plano Carrollton

Plano Office
3001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite B
Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 972-378-5437
       
Carrollton Office
1912 E Hebron Parkway, Suite 104
Carrollton, TX 75007
Phone: 972-394-2140
  • Home
  • Our Team
    • What is a Pediatric Dentist?
    • Meet Our Team of Pediatric Dentists
    • Jeffrey D. Holt, DDS, MS
    • Moisa Sapozhnikov, DDS
    • Mindy Li, DDS
    • Nathan Cotten, DDS, MS – Orthodontist
    • Dental Hygienists
  • Dental Topics
    • Toothaches in Children
    • Pulp Therapy in Children
    • Bruxism is Teeth Grinding or Jaw Clenching in Children
    • Tongue Thrusting in Children
    • Baby Dental Topics
      • Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
      • Dental Hygiene For Babies And Toddlers
      • Stages of Teething and Helpful Hints
      • Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers “Non-nutritive Sucking Habits”
    • Can Oral Piercings Affect Your Teeth?
    • Oral Hygiene
      • Dental Cavities and How to Prevent Them
      • Bad Breath in Children
      • Dental Fluoride Treatments in Children
      • Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities in Children
      • Dental Treatment for Tooth Decay
      • Oral Health and Gum Disease
      • Enamel Hypoplasia/Enamel Defect
      • Eating Healthy to Promote Strong Teeth in Children
      • Foods That Stain Teeth
      • Soda Drinking and Its Effect on Teeth
      • Sports Drinks Can Be Harmful to Teeth
      • Vaping Can Affect Oral Health
        • How Can Vaping Affect My Teen’s Oral Health?
      • Permanent Tooth Eruption In Children
    • White Dental Crowns for Kids
    • Is Teeth Whitening Safe For Children?
    • Wisdom Teeth
      • Over-Retained Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
        • Treating Over-Retained Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
    • Hyperdontia Supernumerary Teeth
    • Hypodontia (Missing Teeth)
    • Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers)
      • Treating Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers)
    • Tips & Safety
      • Eating Disorders Can Affect Kid’s Teeth
      • Preventing and Treating Oral Damage from Eating Disorders
      • Xylitol Dental Benefits
      • Choosing the Best Toothpaste for Children
      • Dental Emergencies
      • Dental Health Resources
      • Dental Sedation
      • Healthy Eating
      • Motivating Your Child to Brush Their Teeth
      • Mouth Guards Prevent Dental Injury in Sports
      • Pediatric Dental X-rays (Radiography) and Safety
    • Dental Emergencies
    • Orthodontics
      • Why Young Kids Need Braces
      • Types of Braces
      • Orthodontic Daily Care
        • Caring for Braces
        • How do you care for braces
        • Helpful Tips for Braces
      • Jaw Surgery for Orthodontics (Maxilla and Mandible)
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Healthy Eating to Promote Strong Teeth in Children

boy eating carrot as Eating Healthy to Promote Strong Teeth in Children
Nature’s Toothbrush

The foods children eat directly affect the status of their dental health long term. One of the best things a parent can do for their kids’ teeth, outside of promoting proper oral hygiene habits, is teaching them to make nutritional and health advancing dietary choices. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, starches, and sugars can cause dental decay and have a negative impact on dental health when consumed in immoderate amounts or when left on the teeth too long after eating. Fostering a healthy and well balanced diet for children from an early age helps form habits that result in a lifetime of strong teeth and overall better health. Our dental topics page provides other information on oral hygiene during pediatric dentistry.

Making Nutritional Choices For Healthy Teeth and Gums

In addition to brushing their teeth twice a day and flossing once daily, kids should consume a well-balanced and nutritional diet, to not only promote overall health but also help build a strong healthy smile. When purchasing snack foods for kids at the grocery store, pay special attention to the sugar content in any packaged foods. The suggestions below should not be considered as a comprehensive guide to feeding your child a well-balanced and healthy diet, but here are some tips for helping kids make nutritional choices to keep their teeth healthier and cleaner:

  • Lean meats, nuts, and proteins—These are a good source of protein for children and help strengthen tooth enamel. Consider turkey, chicken, and white fish as good examples of lean meats. Nuts are a great healthy snack and a quick source of energy for kids. Low sugar peanut butters are also a good snack options as well.
  • healthy teeth food for Eating Healthy to Promote Strong Teeth in ChildrenFruits and vegetables—Fruits and veggies are a good snack alternative to foods rich in carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables with high water content like melons, pears, celery, and cucumbers are especially good for dental hygiene and actually help clean the teeth. Eating crunchy, raw fruits and vegetables every day helps remove some substances that adhere to the surface of the teeth when eating, as well as promote overall health.
  • Cheeses and low-fat dairy products—Aged cheeses like cheddar, swiss, and monterey jack help generate the flow of saliva, which aids in removing food particles from the teeth. Offer these cheeses as a snack or as part of a child’s lunch. Low-fat dairy products like skim milk and yogurt can also promote oral health.
  • Unsweetened foods—Buying unsweetened foods helps decrease the amount of sugar to potentially cause decay in your child’s mouth.
  • Calcium Sources—Strong sources of calcium are crucial to your child’s bones and for building strong teeth. Low-fat milks, cheese, yogurt, and broccoli are good sources of calcium.
  • Water instead of sugary juices or soda—Sodas, juices, and even milk can contain large amounts of sugar that can cause dental decay. Limit the amount of sugary drinks a child consumes and get your child in the habit of primarily drinking water. Tap water is fluoridated, which helps strengthen and protect the teeth against harmful bacteria and sugar that adheres to the teeth. Water in general helps wash the teeth of these potentially harmful agents. Also, never put a baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice!
  • Xylitol-sweetened or sugar free gum—If your child chews gum make sure it is sugar free or sweetened with Xylitol. Xylitol actually decreases bacteria in the mouth, and the action of chewing supports saliva flow, which helps wash away food particles from the teeth.

Foods To Limit Or Avoid

Lessen the risk of dental caries (cavities) and oral decay by limiting your child’s intake of certain foods or avoiding them all together:

  • Sticky, chewy foods—Sugary foods like gummy worms, caramel, lollipops, hard candies, ect., linger on the teeth. In large amounts or without proper teeth brushing, these sweet foods can cause cavities and lead to serious tooth decay. Even sticky snacks like granola bars and peanut butter can have detrimental effects if the teeth are not clean properly afterwards. When giving your child sweets, it is best to give them directly after a meal rather than as a snack. After a meal, there is typically a larger amount of saliva still left in the mouth, making it easier to clean away food and sugar particles from the teeth. Make sure children brush their teeth after eating these types of foods or candies.
  • Desserts—Limit the amount of desserts your child consumes. Ice cream, cookies, and other treats are fine when given in moderation, but it is best to make sure children brush their teeth after consuming such treats.
  • Sugar sweetened drinks and juices—Drinks like sodas, sports drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and chocolate milk should all be given to children in moderate and limited amounts. Children should primarily drink water and it is best to limit a child’s sugary beverage intake to one a day or less.
  • Limit snacking—It is best for children to be in the routine of snacking as little as possible in between meals. When a child is constantly eating without brushing afterwards, it is more difficult for the mouth to generate enough saliva to sufficiently wash away food and sugar particles from the teeth. Time between meals gives the mouth a chance to keep itself as clean as possible, but frequent snacking supplies a continual fuel to help bacteria grow, which causes plaque formation and tooth decay. If possible, have your children brush their teeth after snacking, in addition to the general recommendation of twice daily (in the morning and before bed).

 

At Kids Dental, we offer comprehensive, family-centered pediatric dental care in a child-friendly nurturing environment. If you are looking for a place to call your dental home, please schedule a consultation with one of our pediatric dentists or orthodontist by completing an Online Appointment Request or calling our Kids Dental Plano Office or Kids Dental Carrollton Office.

Kids Dental Locations Appointment Request

Plano Office Phone: 972-378-5437

Carrollton Office Phone: 972-394-2140

kids dental topics pediatric dentist dr jeff holtInfant Dental Topics

  • Why Baby Teeth Are Important
  • Five Stages of Teething and Helpful Hints 
  • Dental Hygiene for Babies and Toddlers
  • Baby Bottle (Nursing) Tooth Decay
  • Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers “Non-nutritive Sucking Habits”

Infant Dental Topics

  • Why Baby Teeth Are Important
  • Five Stages of Teething and Helpful Hints 
  • Dental Hygiene for Babies and Toddlers
  • Baby Bottle (Nursing) Tooth Decay
  • Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers “Non-nutritive Sucking Habits”
detnal topics

Children Dental Topics

  • Permanent Tooth Eruption in Children
  • Dental Cavities and How to Prevent Cavities
  • Dental Fillings, Stainless-steel Crowns-Treatment for Tooth Decay
  • Zirconia White Dental Crowns for Kids
  • Oral Health and Gum Disease
  • Motivating Your Child to Brush Their Teeth
  • When Should I Change My Toothbrush?
  • Choosing the Best Toothpaste for Children
  • Eating Healthy to Promote Strong Teeth in Children
  • Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities in Children
  • Dental Fluoride Treatments in Children
  • Mouth Guards Prevent Dental Injury in Sports
  • Enamel Hypoplasia/Enamel Defect
  • Bad Breath in Children – Halitosis
  • The Top Drinks and Foods That Stain Teeth
  • Sports Drinks Can Be Harmful to Teeth
  • Xylitol Dental Benefits

Pediatric Dental Emergencies

  • Read about pediatric dental emergencies and what to do when they occur.

Safety in Pediatric Dentistry

  • Pediatric Dental X-rays (Radiography) and Safety
  • Dental Sedation and Safety
  • Product Recalls and Health Alerts

Dental Health Resources

  • Web resources on pediatric dental care.

orthodontic braces

Pediatric Orthodontic Topics

  • Why Young Kids Need Braces
  • Types of Braces
  • Caring for Braces
  • Helpful Tips for Braces
  • Jaw Surgery for Orthodontics (Maxilla and Mandible)
    At Kids Dental, your child’s health and safety are a top priority. If you have questions about your child’s teeth, please schedule a consultation with one of our pediatric dentists or orthodontist by completing an Online Appointment Request or calling either office.    

Plano Office Online Appointment Request Phone: 972-394-2140

 

Carrollton Office Online Appointment Request Phone:972-378-5437

  Kids Dental Locations Appointment Request

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Archives

Kids Dental

Plano and Carrollton, Texas

Pediatric Dentists

  • Dr. Jeffrey Holt
  • Dr. Moisa Sapozhnikov
  • Dr. Mindy Li

Orthodontist

Dr. Nathan Cotten

Plano Office

Kids Dental Plano
3001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite B
Plano, Texas 75093

Phone: 972-378-5437

Carrollton Office

Kids Dental Carrollton
1912 E Hebron Parkway, Suite 104

Carrollton, Texas 75007

Phone: 972-394-2140

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