Healthy Eating = Healthy Oral Care #BuildingSmiles

 Making good food choices can make an impact on your child's dental health. It is so important to begin good healthy eating patterns at a young age to help keep your children's teeth healthy. To help keep your teeth healthy you will want to avoid foods high in sugar. You will also want to start encouraging your children at a young age to develop healthy brushing habits by brushing and flossing twice a day. 

When you first eat food it begins to change inside your mouth. Since we have a lot of bacteria in our mouths, the acid can easily lead to cavities. You mouth relies on your nutrition to stay healthy just like the rest of your body. If your children do not have a proper diet, their teeth may not develop properly.

Here are some tips to help keep your teeth healthy

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day
• Avoid sugary drinks and juices
• Lower the amount of snacking
• Try and maintain a well balanced meal
• Brush and floss 2x a Day
• Visit your dentist regularly

Some reasons that can lead to unhealthy teeth:

• Prolonged bottle use
• Low fluid intake
• Gastro reflux
• Excessive amount of sugar intake
• Not eating a well balanced diet
• Not brushing a flossing regularly

Remember when feeding your children foods high in sugar, carbohydrates and starches can greatly increase their risk of plaque buildup on their teeth. If your children develop high amounts of plaque it can then start to break down the enamel on the tooth. Once the enamel breaks down on the tooth a cavity will begin to form.

Remember that your children only get one set of teeth that needs to last their entire lifetime. Eating a healthy well balanced diet and drinking plenty of water can help the longevity of your children's teeth. It can also help your family financially by not accruing high dental bills due to cavities.

To help make brushing your children teeth easier and fun I recommend the Colgate children spin brushes. It helps your children to be able to get better coverage while brushing on their own. They also have fun characters to help get your children excited about brushing. I always let my children brush first, and then I follow-up to ensure they did not miss any spots.

I was compensated for this post as part of a social shopper insights study with #collectivebias. My photos, thoughts and opinions are of my own and not provided by Colgate.