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Photo by Alex Green

Healthy gums in kids means healthy teeth. And that their healthy teeth are strong enough to bite and chew just about any food. To keep those strong teeth, though, there are some foods that are just much better than others.

Any child should eat a balanced diet, which will include some sweet things like cakes and candy. However, you should make sure they don’t over-indulge in those foods that can lead to tooth decay. Rather, encourage your kids to eat foods that will promote stronger teeth.

Of course, consulting trusted dentists like Lowenberg, Lituchy and Kantor help in terms of proper oral hygiene and other cosmetic dental procedures but it’s important to maintain it on a regular basis.

Here are some food options to consider that promote strong teeth in children!

Carrots and celery

Raw carrots and raw celery are great for helping your kids’ teeth stay healthy. Because they are quite hard and crunchy, both these veggies need quite a lot of chewing before they can be swallowed. As your child scrunches, their body produces more saliva to help with the process. Increased saliva in the mouth helps to get rid of bacteria on and between the teeth. It will also wash away food particles that may stay behind.

The fiber in the carrots and celery will also help to scrub the teeth a little bit. Chewing them also massages the gums, which helps to make them stronger.

Broccoli

Broccoli is kind of a wonder food when it comes to helping your kids develop strong teeth. Raw broccoli is hard and crunchy and also encourages the production of saliva. Chewing it massages the gums and helps to scrub the plaque off the surface of their teeth.

Broccoli goes one better, though. It is very rich in calcium, which is an essential mineral for the formation of teeth, and for keeping your kids’ teeth healthy. The beauty of calcium is that it strengthens the enamel surfaces of their teeth. Strong enamel means less chance of decay.

Another great thing about broccoli is that it’s rich in phosphorus, which combines well with calcium. Together, they form a mineral that helps to build bone and strengthen enamel.

Finally, broccoli contains a lot of iron, which helps to protect the enamel on your little ones’ teeth.

Peanuts, cashews and almonds

Nuts contain minerals and vitamins that can contribute to healthy and strong teeth. One of these is calcium and you know already how important that is for your kids’ teeth. Peanuts, cashews and almonds are also great sources of phosphorus, which helps to activate calcium.

Another ingredient of these nuts is Vitamin D, which helps your kids’ absorb and keep calcium and phosphorus in their bodies. This makes it an essential part of the processes that build up the enamel.

Apples

Apples are crunchy fruit and the fiber content can help to brush some of the debris off your kids’ teeth. More importantly, though, crunching an apple persuades their bodies to make more saliva. This is great, because the more saliva, the more it can wash away the bacteria on the teeth.

After your child eats an apple, the bacteria in the saliva can’t survive as well as previously. This is similar to what happens when they brush their teeth.

It also helps to wash away any food debris that may, otherwise, get stuck between your little ones’ teeth and lead to decay.

Eggs

Eggs are a pretty staple breakfast food, and they are also important to help your kids develop stronger teeth.

The key ingredients in eggs are calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. Of course, calcium is essential in building and protecting the enamel around their teeth. Phosphorus works hand-in-hand with calcium to produce the mineral compound to do this. And vitamin D helps your kids absorb calcium in the first place.

When it comes to promoting strong teeth, eggs seem to have it all.

Dairy products

Possibly the most important source of calcium is from dairy products. This means milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. The calcium in these products is also absorbed very easily. This makes dairy products extremely important foods when it comes to keeping your kids’ teeth strong and healthy.

You should think about calcium as being a cornerstone of building bones in the body and enamel on the teeth. If your kids drink milk and eat butter, cheese and yogurt when they grow up, you are giving them a great chance to strengthen their teeth.

Having a lot of calcium is like having a secret weapon that protects, and therefore strengthens, the enamel.

Tea

Giving your child a cup of tea, especially green tea, can help them develop strong teeth. The tea helps to keep the number of bacteria at bay, as well as lower the acid production in their mouth. In addition, tea contains fluoride. This is a very important mineral when it comes to avoiding tooth decay.

There are also a whole lot of micronutrients in tea that are good for your kids’ oral health in general. They help keep their gums healthy, which means their teeth have a strong base and grow stronger themselves.

Leafy greens

There is more to lettuce, kale and spinach than just looking pretty in your kid’s lunch salad. They are also important in promoting strong teeth. These vegetables are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin c, both of which are important to keep your kids’ gums healthy. Along with the iron in the leaves, they also fight bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.