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10 Of The Worst Foods For Your Kid's Teeth

We all want to protect our teeth in the best ways we can. After all, we only get one set for our lifetime! Most of us already know that brushing two times a day and flossing at least once a day are great ways to protect our teeth from cavities and other damage. But did you know that we can also protect our teeth by eliminating certain foods?

The truth is, some foods are better than others for our teeth. Let's look at 10 different foods that we should avoid if we want to keep our pearly whites in good health!

1. Sweets That Stick
Many people love candies like taffy, caramels and others sticky sweets. But these foods can be very damaging to our teeth. First of all, they always contain lots of sugar, which can hurt our tooth enamel and cause cavities. Next, these sticky candies often get really stuck to our teeth, and they can be very difficult to remove even when you brush and floss.

2. Carbonated Soft Drinks
Soda pop is a favorite beverage of many children and adults, but it gives our bodies almost no benefits. Our teeth suffer the most. Carbonated soft drinks like cola contain lots of acid. This acid weakens our tooth enamel. Most sodas also include tons of sugar, which causes cavities. This stuff is so bad that all of the 4^th grade classes at my daughter's school did their final science project about it.

3. Some Fruit Juices, Sports Drinks, and Energy Drinks
You may think that if you don't drink carbonated soft drinks, you should switch to fruit juices and sports drinks. Unfortunately, these drinks can be just as bad as soda pop. Many of them contain just as much sugar and acid. And those energy drinks... Is there anything good to say about them? Bad for body, terrible for teeth.

4. Super Starchy Foods
Starchy foods include many carbohydrates. For example, super starchy foods that you or your kids might eat regularly are rice, bread, pasta, crackers, and goldfish. These foods are not terrible, but because of their squishiness, they often get wedged between teeth. In addition, they can contain more simple sugar than you think and erode your precious tooth enamel.

5. Hard Candies
Candies include food items like peppermints, suckers, and lemon drops and even cough drops. Most of these candies contain tons of sugar. If you suck on these candies, the sugar provides perfect nutrition for the bacteria in your mouth. If you decide to chew hard candies, they can actually crack or even break your teeth.

6. Dried Fruits
Your mom might have told you that dried fruits are good for you. The truth, is you’re better off sticking to regular fruits that have not been dried. This is because to dry the fruits, manufacturers put tons of sugar in them, and fruit already has a lot of sugar! That’s what makes them so sweet. Finally, you have probably noticed that dried fruits like raisins and cranberries are very chewy. Unfortunately, this makes them perfect for lodging between teeth and making problems.

7. Dark Foods
This category includes foods like red pasta sauce and soy sauce. The enamel that covers our teeth can be damaged by these foods. Your teeth might turn yellow or brown (eek!), and the acidity in foods like tomato sauce and tomatoes can temporarily make your teeth more porous. This invites problems. If you love these foods, don’t fret. Just try to swish water in your mouth afterwards, or better yet, brush.

8. Pickles
Pickles might taste yummy with a grilled cheese sandwich, but they’re not doing your teeth any favors. That’s because pickles are made with vinegar, and that acidic vinegar can erode tooth enamel and make way for those darn cavities to enter. But if you rinse and/or brush afterwards you can pickle away to your hearts delight!

9. Canned Fruits
Canned fruits and regular, fresh fruits are not created equal. Canned fruits like peaches or apricots are often bathed in sugary syrup. As we know, sugar is not our teeth’s friend. All that syrup coats every one of your teeth and sits there causing trouble until you brush. If you do eat canned fruits, choose those that are in water instead of syrup.

10. Popcorn and Corn on the Cob
Popcorn and corn on the cob are natural foods that can actually be healthy for you. Unfortunately, you have probably already noticed that when you bite into a corncob, the bits of corn get stuck all over your teeth. Kernels from popcorn can frequently get stuck in your teeth as well. These stuck bits of corn can be hard to get out. They can create gum infections, and if you have braces, they can cause damage to brackets and orthodontic wires. You know what's coming next. Brush it and floss it so you can enjoy it :-) Read more about 10 Of The Worst Foods For Your Kid's Teeth

How Many Teaspoons of Sugar are in Your Kid's Drink?

What is your favorite kid's drink? Do you love soft drinks like Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew? Maybe your favorite drinks include juices like apple juice and orange juice. Chocolate milk is also popular, especially at school with lunch. Do you know what drinks are the healthiest for you? Many popular kid's drinks are loaded with sugar, which is not healthy for your body or your teeth. I am going to tell you how much sugar is in the most common kids drinks. If you know that a drink has too much sugar, then maybe you will choose another drink that will be good for your body and won't cause cavities.

Most kids will admit that they love the jolt of energy that sugary drinks give them. Maybe that is why Coca-cola is high on the list of the most sugary soft drinks that kids adore. Did you know that a 12-ounce can of Coke has almost 10 teaspoons of sugar? Many parents will give their kids the 20-ounce size due to the replaceable cap. That size has almost 20 teaspoons of sugar! Now, many kids aren't allowed to drink the "Big Gulp" size that stores like 7-Eleven sell. So, if you're a kid and you're reading this, and you see your parents drink the "Big Gulp" size, you can tell them that is has a whopping 32 teaspoons of sugar! 

Another favorite drink among children are the flavored teas. Some brands you may have had are Sobe, Arizona, or Snapple. These may be delicious, but your teeth won't be smiling at how much sugar is in them. These teas tend to have between six and eight teaspoons of sugar in them. Although that is a little less than a can of soda, that is still a lot of sugar. Plus, some teas also have caffeine, and children should not have much of that either. 

Let's move on to juices. Kids of all ages love juice. Many popular juices include apple juice, orange juice, and even lemonade is considered a juice. Parents and children are led to believe that juice is better for you since it comes straight from fruit. This is where reading the label comes in handy. You have to look for the percentage of actual fruit juice that is in your drink. Several types of so-called fruit juices only have a small percentage of juice in them. That's why they are loaded with sugar. Some of the most popular ones like Minute Maid have between 13 and 15 teaspoons of sugar. Imagine taking a spoon and shoveling that much sugar into a drink. That's a lot!

Capri Suns are a refreshing and easy drink that parents like to buy their children. Kids will drink these all day long, as they are convenient and make very little mess. However, did you know that these little 6.75-ounce drinks have almost five teaspoons of sugar? Another interesting fact about Capri Suns is that they have 70 total calories and all of those calories come from sugar. So, you may think the Capri Suns are a better choice than soda, but it is about the same amount of sugar as Coke. 

Last, let's talk about chocolate milk. Most kids love chocolate. Schools everywhere serve chocolate milk with their school lunches. An eight-ounce serving of chocolate milk has almost eight teaspoons of sugar. That is like having one teaspoon of sugar per ounce of drink. Chocolate milk is not healthier just because it contains milk. It is actually similar to the sugar content in the other drinks. 

Was your favorite drink mentioned in this article? If so, I hope that you will choose a drink next time that has less sugar. The best way to find out how much sugar a drink has is to read the label. When in doubt, water is always a good choice and it is something your body needs to stay hydrated. Sugar in any form will stick to your teeth and may cause cavities. Cavities will eat away your teeth. This causes many other problems. So, limit your sugar. Knowledge is power! Read more about How Many Teaspoons of Sugar are in Your Kid's Drink?