What Dietary Components Impact My Child’s Oral Health?

Encouraging your child to eat a diet rich in nutritious foods does more than just affect their overall physical health. Your child's eating habits may be greatly affecting their oral health as well. Here are three primary dietary components that impact the oral health of children.

Fruits and Vegetables

The antioxidant benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables also positively affect a person's oral health. While a moderate amount of any fruit is healthy, it should be noted that fruits that are highly acidic can actually damage the tooth enamel. This is why you should never suck on lemons or other fruits that contain high amounts of acids. Meanwhile, fruits such as strawberries act as natural teeth whiteners, making them a good choice. Vegetables that contain a high amount of fiber and water are also especially healthy for teeth.

Sugar

It is no secret that an excess amount of sugar can have detrimental effects on a child's overall oral health. Increased blood sugar levels can lead to an increase of inflammation, which can make it difficult for the body to combat oral diseases such as gingivitis. It is also important to remember that cutting all sugar out of a child's diet is unhealthy. There are a number of fruits that contain naturally occurring fructose. While it is a good idea to watch out for the consumption of too much refined sugar, it is not recommended for fruits to be avoided just because it contains sugar.

Grains

The benefits of whole grains stretch well beyond the protection that they provide against obesity, heart disease, stroke and cancer. A diet that is rich in whole grains has also been shown to reduce the risk of gum disease. The many vitamins and minerals that are present in whole grains serve to keep both the teeth and gums healthy and functioning at optimal levels. Magnesium is a powerful force in encouraging strong enamel while vitamin E works to reduce inflammation and guard against gum disease. It is easy to incorporate whole grains into your diet simply by swapping out some of your favorite foods with their whole-grain counterpart. For example, try substituting brown rice for white rice or whole-grain pasta for white pasta.

Encouraging your child to practice healthy eating habits will pay off big dividends when it comes to oral health. You will never regret making the effort to take special care of your child's teeth and gums.

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How to Make Sure Your Baby’s Teeth Come in Properly

The part of infancy where a baby begins teething can be hard for everyone. Babies will start to feel and express a lot more discomfort. Breastfeeding mamas might find the process painful. But you’re going to want to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible so your child can have the little pearly whites they deserve. 

Start Brushing Their Teeth

Good brushing habits are the foundation for anyone’s good dental hygiene. Brushing and flossing are the keys to avoiding as many dental problems as possible as a teenager and an adult. That’s why it’s so important to develop the habit as early on as possible.

Not only will this help your toddler adjust to the brushing process itself, but it will also help keep their baby teeth healthy. Baby teeth are a kind of trial run to help you understand just how well your child can maintain their teeth on their own. I know from being a teacher that kids can get in to dental health problems early in life. You definitely don’t want this if you can avoid it.

Get Them to Break Harmful Habits

Lots of babies develop small habits and tics to help them deal with the stresses of life. Often, those habits will be something of an oral fixation. It’s very common for babies to try and put anything and everything they can reach into their mouths. Grinding or gritting the teeth and jaw as well as sucking their thumb are also common possibilities. 

Kids a year or older should stop sucking their thumbs to prevent teeth development issues. If you are worried about helping them overcome these habits, try talking to their pediatrician about what can be done. You can also learn more about potential baby teeth concerns here

Regular Pediatric Appointments

It’s so important to have the input of a professional during your child’s developmental stages. Regular medical checkups are a must, even if nothing is obviously wrong. That’s the only way you’ll be able to catch problems early–before they grow into something more serious and expensive. Pediatric dentists should also be consulted if necessary. Remember: small problems aren’t the end of the world, but if you let them fester, they can become truly bothersome. Serious problems might even alter how your child lives their day-to-day life.

Teeth aren’t an easy thing to take care of. Building up habits takes years, and most kids don’t want to go through that kind of effort. Little children can be notoriously resistant to parental attempts to help them brush their teeth. The important thing is that you keep trying, and that you keep making sure that they get the help they need.

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How to Keep Your Home Healthy and Clean

It is important to make sure that your home is a clean and healthy environment. This will help you to be healthier and more comfortable as you’re spending time at home. This is especially important if you have babies or young children, since even minor problems can cause them to become sick. Here are a few tips that will help you to keep your home healthy and clean.

Maintain a Cleaning Schedule

First of all, it is important to maintain a cleaning schedule. Set a schedule for all of the weekly cleaning that you need to get done. For example, you’ll want to clean your bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms, and living spaces. You’ll want to vacuum, disinfect, clean, and more. You can split up tasks to make sure that something gets done every day rather than trying to get it all done on the weekend. Try to share the load with some of your family members if that will help you to get all of the necessary cleaning done each week.

Don’t Wear Shoes in the House

Another tip that can help you to keep your home healthy and clean is to avoid wearing shoes inside your house. Removing your shoes at the door can help prevent damage to your carpet. Having a clean carpet can be especially helpful when you have small children crawling around a lot. It can also help you to avoid tracking allergens and bacteria that might be present in different outdoor areas.

Do Yearly Cleaning Maintenance

There are certain cleaning tasks that are more in-depth that you’ll want to take care of yearly. These maintenance tasks will help you to keep your house clean even though they will take a little bit more work. For example, you should have your air conditioning ducts and vents cleaned regularly to get rid of any dust or debris that might be stuck inside. If these ducts aren’t cleaned, your AC units could be blowing a lot of dirty air into your house. You can also always hire a professional for extra help and experience.

So, if you’re trying to make sure that your home is a healthy and safe environment, remember this article. Make sure that you maintain a cleaning schedule, don’t wear shoes in the house, and do yearly cleaning maintenance. This will help your home to be a healthy environment for all of your family members living at home.

Check out this article on how to get your child to adopt healthy habits!

4 Biggest Hidden Dangers to a Child's Health

As a parent, you want your child to have the best possible upbringing. This means protecting your son or daughter from hazards that your son or daughter might encounter both at home and in the outside world. Let's take a look at a few of these potential hazards and the steps that you can take to mitigate them.

Peanuts and Seafood

Many children develop allergies at a young age, and you don’t find out until they are exposed to the allergens and they get sick. In some cases, your child could suffer negative health consequences from merely touching a surface that is contaminated by peanuts. The same could be true if your child eats, smells or touches fish or other seafood. If your child shows any signs of an allergy, take your son or daughter to the doctor immediately. It can also be a good idea to have medication handy in case of an emergency.

Mold

According to Behind the S, mold most often affects children, pregnant women, and people with breathing problems. The most common kinds of mold form in damp conditions usually present in a basement, attic or bathroom. If you see black mold, be sure to call a professional right away. It can have an adverse impact on your child's life, and it can also put your own life in danger.

Falling Objects

A blow to the head can cause significant injury to a small child because its skull and brain are not fully developed. This can be true even if the object falls from a relatively low height. To prevent your child from being hit by a falling object at home, keep items on shelves secured with zip ties or similar objects. You can also keep potentially dangerous objects in a shed or other space the child won't occupy.

The Family Pet

You should never leave your child unsupervised when feeding, playing with or otherwise interacting with a cat or dog. This is because even a friendly animal can get scared or angry in an instant, and it could lead to your child being bitten or experiencing other injuries in an attack. According to American Family Physician, dog bites account for 1% of all injury-related emergency department visits in the United States and more than $50 million in inpatient costs per year. Immediate treatment will be necessary to stop the spread of bacteria throughout the child's body.

Children are often curious about the world around them and can be oblivious to the potential consequences of their actions. Therefore, it is important that they are properly supervised to ensure that they don't get hurt. Taking proactive steps to mitigate hazards can also make it easier to keep your kids safe when you can't watch them.

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