The holiday season is here. We are officially in the happiest time of the year for most people. Candy canes, egg nog, Christmas dinners and so much more are on the table. Not to put a hamper on your Christmas spirits, but as dentists, we would be remiss not to mention that this season is also high time for cavities and tooth decay. Understandably, the temptations may just be too high to resist, but there are a few things you can do to keep your and your children’s teeth healthy during these troubling times – well, teeth wise at least -. We offer you a list of awesome yet healthy holiday treats for toddlers that can keep them happy, yet cavity-free at the same time.
Is Children Tooth Decay Really Dangerous?
It is a very common misconception that children’s teeth are less important than adult teeth. Some people may think that since they will be replaced later in life, that keeping your children’s teeth healthy and cavity-free is not a big deal. So my child will have a cavity for a year or two, but the tooth will fall off and be replaced eventually, right?
WRONG. Children’s teeth are of the utmost importance. They begin to emerge at around 6 months of age and continue up until about 2 years. The first adult tooth will emerge at about 6 years of age, which means your child will live with them for at least 4 years. Not only that, but the last adult tooth to emerge comes in at about 12 to 14 years. This is a huge amount of time to leave your child’s teeth with cavities.
What Happens If I Leave My Children’s Teeth Untreated?
As we mentioned, your child will be living with his\her baby teeth for quite some time. If these are left with their decay, it is only common sense to assume that they will eventually start to hurt. Not only that, but the decay can turn into an infection, which can easily find its way to the adult teeth growing inside the bone underneath them. In addition, if your child lost his teeth early, the remaining teeth start to creep and tilt into the empty space, and your child may end up needing braces when they grow up.
So as you can see, our suggestions for healthy holiday treats for toddlers are not only to keep their baby teeth safe but to safeguard their entire dental future as well.
Are Traditional Christmas Treats Bad For Children’s Teeth?
In a word: YES. Christmas treats are all about sugar, and sugar is the biggest enemy of children’s teeth – and any teeth for that matter -. Another dangerous factor about Christmas treats is their consistency. Most treats such as candy canes and candy apples are not only laced with enough sugar to rot their teeth 20 times over but are really sticky as well. So even if your child is meticulous about their oral hygiene, these sticky items are very hard to clean.
One of the first things you’ll notice about our list of healthy holiday treats for toddlers is that they don’t contain any sugars, and they also tend to flow off the teeth easily.
What Can I Do To Safeguard My Children’s Teeth?
Let’s be honest, you can’t really stop a child from eating candy, especially not in the holiday season. We know that they are bound to sneak off a few treats with loads of sugar, and that’s OK. Our advice is to try and limit the intake of these items, but if you can’t, at least limit the number of times of consumption during the day. Try to gather all the treats to be eaten at one sitting, as opposed to having them scattered throughout the day. Also try to keep up with their oral hygiene by brushing twice a day, and try to floss at least twice a week (with supervision of course).
However, if you and your child want to follow a healthier way of living, you’re in for a treat – literally and figuratively -.
Here Is A List Of Healthy Holiday Treats For Toddlers
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Christmas Angel Fairy Bread:
Christmas angels are one of the most popular treats of the holidays. They are usually made of cookies laced with sugary sprinkles. If you swap the cookie dough for sweetened bread and swap the sprinkles with tiny veggies, then you’ll have a healthy yet tasty snack for your kids.
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Cucumber Christmas Tree:
It may be a bit challenging to make, but an awesome addition to our list of healthy holiday treats for toddlers. Toddlers usually like anything cold and crunchy, and cucumber fulfills that need greatly. Swap the sugary ornaments for pieces of chees or any other type of veggie. Your children will gulp it up in no time.
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Cheeseball Snowman:
Another popular sighting at Christmas parties is snowman-shaped treats. These are usually in marshmallow or even cookie form. Well, why not cheese? Cheese is very healthy for the teeth as it induces saliva secretion which protects the teeth from decay and washes away all the debris and plaque.
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Strawberry Santa:
What’s the common factor between Santa and strawberries? They’re both red, and you can capitalize on that. By cutting up the strawberries to look like the big-bellied red-suited merry man, your kids will love to jump in on the action.
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Christmas Fruit Tree:
This is kind of self-explanatory. Just shape the fruits on the plate to look like a Christmas tree with colorful ornaments. Yes, the shape will be ruined after a few bites, but still a popular and easy to make addition to our healthy holiday treats for toddlers list.
There are so many more ideas where you can just incorporate healthy snacks into already famous holiday treats. Fruits, veggies, bread, and cheese instead of sugar, cookies, and sprinkles make very healthy holiday treats for toddlers, and a very merry – and healthy – Christmas as well.
If you need more tips on how to keep your toddler’s teeth healthy, contact us at PCO dental pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. We’re located just around the corner at 34-22 35th Street, Long Island City, NY 11106. Call us now to schedule your appointment on (718) 223-5652.
We wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy new year.
Tags: Child dentist NY, teething, Toddler Teeth