While professional teeth cleaning is the best way to keep your child’s teeth clean and bacteria-free, daily oral hygiene is a little more difficult to manage. It may not be practical for your child to bring a toothbrush to school, but you can include foods in your child's lunch that have positive effects on their oral health. Here are three types of foods that are good for your child’s teeth.

Foods to Boost Your Child’s Oral Health

1. Crunchy Fruits & Veggies

Crunchy, fibrous fruits and vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They’re also beneficial for dental health, since their crisp texture provides natural teeth cleaning. As your child chews, the plaque will be scrubbed off their tooth enamel. As a result, even though they aren't brushing after lunch, they'll still have less sugar and bacteria to worry about.

2. Mineral-Rich Foods

Tooth enamel is made of minerals like calcium which help keep it hard. Over time, bacteria leach those minerals out, weakening the enamel. You can help your child replenish them with foods like dairy, which contain calcium, as well as leafy greens, nuts, and seeds that are full of other trace minerals.

3. Fluoride-Enriched Water

The one essential mineral that's difficult to get in an ordinary diet is fluoride. You can find this ingredient in toothpaste and other teeth cleaning and care products, but they may not provide enough to keep tooth enamel at its best. Fluoride can also be found plentifully throughout the nation’s water supply. Water with added fluoride will ensure your child gets enough, and it will also help wash away any residue from your child's food.

If your child needs teeth cleaning, choose Montvale Dental Group in Montvale, NJ. Serving Bergen County for over 20 years, Dr. Vulakh and her team offer comprehensive care, including everything from basic dental exams to Invisalign® teeth straightening. To make an appointment, call (201) 391-3060 today. Learn more about their services on their website.