Snack time!!!
Nutrition is very important for the growth and development of children. And, as parents, it can be a challenge to create the well balanced diet! As a pediatric dentist , I am concerned with the small meals in between the three daily meals. Snacking or grazing (eating throughout the day) can lead to harmful effects in oral health. Set aside time for your child to sit down and eat his/her snack, treat it like a meal. For toddlers using a bottle or sippy cup, we encourage milk only at meal times, and water throughout the day. We do not advise juice for toddlers and never any soda pop, chocolate milk, gatorade or other sugary drinks! Never give the infant/toddler milk or juice at bedtime. This is because as the child sleeps, salivary production declines and the mouth becomes dry which increases the damaging effects of the sugar. This leads to rampant decay, what people call "baby bottle decay." ...