Diet plays an important role in children’s dental and overall health and development; a healthy diet is full of nutrients and vitamins that are essential for children’s growth. An unbalanced diet can cause different health and dental issues. A healthy and complete diet is a natural and organic treatment for different dental issues. Dentist in London guides parents to provide children with a healthy balanced diet for dental problem prevention.
What is the Role of a Good Diet in Your Children’s Dental Health?
Diet plays a significant role in children’s dental tissue and jawbone development, lack of essential nutrients in the diet can cause dental problems in children. You should consult with a professional dentist in London who will guide you on how to provide children with a healthy balanced diet. A healthy and balanced diet is the complete source of all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as:
Strengthen Teeth and Bone
Calcium and vitamin D are required for teeth and bone development, milk, cheese, and yoghurt are calcium-rich foods, intake of these calcium and vitamin-rich diets at developmental age, strengthens children’s teeth and bones.
Prevent Tooth Decay
Poor diet intake such as low calcium and vitamins, increased sugar intake, and soft drinks can damage the protective layer of the teeth that support bacterial growth inside the oral cavity, as compared to a healthy diet makes stronger and protects them from bacterial damage.
Support Gum Health
Fruit and veggies are rich in minerals such as vitamin A and vitamin C, which are good for healthy gums. Citrus fruits control gum bleeding by promoting collagen formation that repairs gum tissues and controls periodontal infection.
Promote Saliva Production
A healthy diet and adequate water intake maintain natural saliva flow in the oral cavity. Saliva naturally cleans food particles and prevents plaque and tarter attachment on the tooth surface. Proper hydration improves salivary flow, and calcium and fluoride in saliva strengthen enamel and protect it from dental decay.
Maintain Healthy Oral Mucosa
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anaemia, which is common in children who eat an unbalanced healthy diet. Children with a low level of iron easily develop an oral canker sore or ulcers and a burning sensation on the tongue. Iron-rich diets such as apples, carrots and beans can resolve these complications in children.
Natural Teeth Cleaning
Raw and crunchy vegetables and fruits clean the teeth’s surface and remove plaque or tarter. It also increases saliva production in the oral cavity which naturally washes out all dirt from the mouth, neutralises the acidic environment and controls bacterial growth.
What Are The Signs and Symptoms Of Poor Dental Health Due To an Unbalanced Diet?
An unbalanced or poor diet results in different dental problems, that are initially mild and become worse if not treated. Parents should regularly monitor children’s dental conditions or maintain regular dental visits, so dentists identify dental issues earlier.
Multiple Dental Cavities
Sugar-enriched diet and processed carbohydrates affect dental and overall health, especially at an early age in children, it can cause obesity, type 1 diabetes, and multiple tooth decay in the oral cavity with pain and infection. Low calcium and increased acid beverages in the form of soft drinks and artificial coloured juice, make teeth surfaces weak and vulnerable to dental cavities. A balanced and controlled sugar diet can prevent dental and health issues in children.
Gum Infection and Bleeding
Children with vitamins C and A deficiency are more prone to gum disease which causes gum infection, and bleeding. Poor gum condition does not provide good teeth support, gum recession, and teeth sensitivity to hot and cold are also common due to gum disease. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C they control gum infection and bleeding. Vitamins C and A enriched diet, good oral hygiene practice and regular dental cleaning for plaque removal can control bleeding problems in children.
Teeth Discolouration
Children’s teeth are easily discoloured due to less mineralised content. Teeth discolouration is of two types extrinsic or intrinsic. Intrinsic staining is the development stain that is difficult to remove. Extrinsic staining is due to food and beverage. Calcium mineralises teeth and makes them strong, it protects them from decay, and discolouration and improves children’s self-esteem and aesthetics. The best way to protect teeth from discolouration is the replace stain-causing food and beverages with milk, yoghurt and cheese that improve teeth mineralisation and keep them healthy and safe.
Bad Breath
Bad breath or halitosis is common in children with gum disease, poor oral hygiene, and increased sugar and junk food intake. Dehydration and refined carbohydrates accelerate bacterial growth, reduce salivary flow in the mouth, and stop the natural cleaning process that enhances bacterial accumulation in deep gum pockets that infect gum and cause foul smell or halitosis in children.
Teeth Erosion
Children’s teeth erode easily due to less mineralisation and acidic beverage intake like soft drinks can accelerate this process. An unbalanced diet also affects children’s digestive system, leading to acidity or gastric oesophagus reflex which erodes teeth surface due to acid production. A light healthy and balanced diet strengthens teeth and prevents gastric acidity problems in children.
Delay Teeth Development
Calcium, phosphorus and fluoride are important for teeth mineralisation and development, poor diet can cause a deficiency of these essential minerals that leads to delay and abnormal teeth growth. Vitamin D plays an important role in teeth-supportive tissues and surrounding jaw development, deficiency of these vitamins and minerals can cause delayed teeth mineralisation and defects in teeth shape and size.
Chronic Mouth Ulcer
Chronic mouth ulcers are common in children with nutritional deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes anaemia and other blood disorders that affect children’s immunity and lead to recurrent ulcers. The digestive system abnormality stops natural iron absorption that causes chronic mouth ulcers in children, a healthy diet resolves digestive problems and overcomes vitamin B12 deficiency.
Conclusion
Diet has a deep impact on the dental and overall health of children. A healthy and balanced diet can prevent dental decay, gum problems, teeth staining, abnormal teeth development and chronic ulcers in children. Calcium, minerals and vitamins A, D, C and B12 make the oral cavity healthy and prevent dental problems in children.
