February is Children's Dental Health Month
In
Education
February 22, 2017
PARENTS! TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON CHILDREN’S DENTAL FACTS
Making great choices for your child's dental health can be tricky, even when all you want is what is best for them. See how much you know by taking this short quiz.
1. True or False? Fruit flavored kid’s snacks are a great alternative to fresh fruit.
2. True or False? Sour candy is one of the worst types of candy for kid’s teeth.
3. True or False? All organic foods are good for your child’s teeth.
4. True or false? Sugary drinks are fine for kid’s teeth when sipped a little bit at a time.
5. True or false? Kids need to eliminate all sugary and starchy snacks to make sure they have great dental health.
6. True or false? Baby teeth are just as important to care for as adult teeth.
7. True or false? When taking kids to the dentist, they should be prepared by telling them about everything that will happen that day.
8. True or False? Kids should have their first visit to the dentist while they are still babies.
9. True or False? Putting kids to bed with a bottle of milk or juice will not harm their teeth.
10. True or false? Smart, loving parents know what foods and drinks are going to cause problems for kid’s teeth.
1. False Few foods cause more tooth decay to develop in between the teeth thank sticky fruit snacks or gummy fruits. These snacks have a higher potential to cause decay because they are not as easily cleared from their teeth as other foods. Real fruit is a much better option.
2. True Sour candy can dramatically increase the risk of getting tooth decay because it changes the environment of their mouths to one that is very favorable to getting decay. Guiding them to small amounts of chocolate would be much better for their teeth.
3. False Organic does not always mean healthy because sugar can be organic, too. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, even if it is organic, it is harmful to developing teeth and should be given in moderation.
4. False It is FAR better for kid’s teeth to suck down those drinks in one sitting rather than sip on them throughout the day. Continually bathing teeth in one form of sugar or another increases the risk of tooth decay dramatically.
5. False There is no need to be that extreme and remove all sugary foods like candy and starchy foods like crackers, but they are less harmful for their teeth when eaten at meal times. In between meals offer them healthy choices like fruits or vegetables.
6. True Healthy baby teeth are crucial to the proper development of permanent teeth, as well as for the health of the child because their dental health affects their overall health.
7. False When you bring your child to the dentists, kids usually have a much easier time if you don’t make a big deal out of it. Just make it like any other errand and they usually have a great experience at the dental office.
8. True The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that all children have their first dental visit prior to age one. Your dentist will screen for potential developmental and eating problems, serve as a great resource for their future dental health and let you know how to handle emergencies.
9. False Putting a child to bed with a bottle of milk or juice is one of the most harmful habits to kid’s teeth because the bacteria in their mouths combine with the sugars in those liquids to produce acids that cause tooth decay and the teeth can be exposed to those acids all night long. A better solution is to give them a pacifier or water when they head off to sleep.
10. False Even super smart loving parents can be misled because the American diet is filled with very appealing food and drink options for kids that cause much harm to their developing teeth. That is one big reason why tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of children in the US today.