Sweet dishes will be enjoyed in abundance as Valentine’s Day approaches. From chocolate-covered peanut butter hearts to glistening iced pink snack cakes, there’s something for everyone on Valentine’s Day. Your children will receive more candy, chocolate, cookies, and other love-themed treats than you can control from other children and well-meaning adults at school, church, and family functions.
Sugary sweets are tasty, and children like the thrill of giving and receiving them. As a parent, you undoubtedly want your children to participate in and enjoy the holiday with their peers. You should be warned, though, that too much sugar can destroy your child’s teeth. We’d like to provide some tasty tips for decreasing your children’s sugar intake this Valentine’s Day as a pediatric dentist.
Keep an eye on the snacks that are brought in.
If at all feasible, have your child tell you what they get or eat. It’s difficult to do this without coming across as overbearing, but it’s critical to communicate to your child that you want him to be healthy while also taking care of his teeth.
Some of the more common sugary treats given to children on Valentine’s Day are frosted sugar cookies, glazed snack cakes, chocolates, gummy candy, hard candy, and chewy, or sticky candy.
Know how to care for your teeth after you’ve consumed sugar.
While you may be aware that brushing your child’s teeth is important for his dental health, you may not be aware that brushing immediately after eating sweets is really counterproductive.
Brushing your teeth right after a sweet meal may cause tooth damage by removing protective enamel. Instead, make your child rinse his mouth with water after eating sweet foods. After that, give your youngster an hour before brushing his or her teeth.
Prepare more nutritious Valentine’s Day snacks.
Of course, candy is exciting and engaging, but there are many more fun methods to make Valentine’s Day gifts for your child to compensate for the lack of sweets. Here are some fun and cute ideas for a child’s Valentine’s Day celebration or day at home:
- Heart-shaped cheese cubes and vegetable bits
- Sandwiches carved out with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
- Fruits for Valentine’s Day in a packet or dish.
- Fruit dipped in dark chocolate that has been decreased in sugar.
- Fried eggs carved out with a cookie cutter in the shape of a heart.
- Whole wheat heart pancakes with applesauce on top.
- In flavored seltzer, frozen juice cubes in the shape of a heart.
For your child’s school lunch, you can also bring healthy and nutritious Valentine’s Day-themed snacks. Healthy foods can be made more enjoyable by using pink and red bags, as well as heart-themed wrappers. Food-safe packaging is available in most retail and craft establishments.
It’s important to keep in mind that your child can consume a modest bit of sugar. Allow your children to share a few appropriate sweet snacks with their friends and relatives on Valentine’s Day. Keep an eye on how much sugar they ingest, and educate them how to properly wash their teeth after consuming sugar.
If you’re concerned about your child’s teeth as a result of too much sugar, give us a call to set up an appointment. We are here to help you and your child receive the best possible pediatric dental care.