Nutrition and Dental Health for Kids in February

Each February, the American Dental Association dedicates a month to promoting and raising awareness of kids’ dental health, known as Children’s Dental Health Month. When we think about eating and living well, we don’t always consider the connection between nutrition and dental health.  However, as we focus on our kids dental health this month, Juice Plus+ and the American Dental Association are both here to tell you that nutrition and dental health are very closely connected and the same foods that benefit your bones, heart, immune system, and other functions also help to keep your teeth and gums strong, healthy, and lasting.

Based on research and expert testimony, it’s clear that nutrition can have positive effects for our dental health. Juice Plus+ Research has shown that nutrition from fruits and vegetables helps to reduce gum pocket depths and diminish bleeding over time. Additionally, Dr. Frank Eggleston, a dentist who specializes in restorative and operative dentistry, is a fervent advocate of Juice Plus+ for nutrition and dental health for both adults’ and children’s teeth. Dr. Eggleston’s position is that proper nutrition helps to prevent bleeding in gums as well as improve gum health in general. “When we see cavities in the mouth around 10 or 12 cavities, we know that equally bad things are occurring in the general health,” said Dr. Eggleston. He went on to say that gums of people who use Juice Plus+ cease bleeding and increase in pinkness (a sign of gum health) over time.

Here are a few dental hygiene tips for kids and adults alike related to your nutrition:

• Monitor you and your children’s sugar intake for optimum dental hygiene. When sugar comes into contact with the mouth, the bacteria in the mouth feed on those sugars and turn them into acids, which can cause cavities and potentially extensive damage to the teeth and gums.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide your teeth with the nutrients needed to maintain tooth and gum health. Fruits and vegetables are sources of calcium, which the body uses to strengthen the enamel of teeth in addition to building bones.
• When you do consume sugars, avoid liquid sugars. Liquid sugars get into every nook and cranny of the tooth, advancing the development of harmful acids from all around the tooth.
• And of course, take your Juice Plus+! Research tested and expert approved, Juice Plus+ has been shown to promote gum health.

As Children’s Dental Health Month comes to a close, we hope that you have taken extra measure to keep your children aware of the importance of nutrition and dental health as well as to instill in them habits that will help their teeth last a lifetime.

What do you do to ensure your children have healthy teeth and gums? Share with us below.

Sources:
http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/nutrition
http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/d/diet-and-dental-health