As the end of March – also known as National Nutrition Month – comes to its final days, we encourage you to consider how important it is to ensure your child eats right. Are you wondering what effect diet has on your little one’s smile and what you can do to make sure you’re doing your best? Let’s explore this topic, so you feel more confident about your son or daughter’s oral health and general wellbeing, with a quick Q&A session.

Q&A: Protecting Children’s Nutrition – And Smiles

Question: What makes nutrition so important – children seem so resilient that it’s hard to know how much to worry.

Answer: If your child is enjoying a balanced diet then you probably don’t have much to worry about. Ensuring your little one receives vitamins and minerals essential to healthy growth is important in successful physical development.

Question: What exactly does nutrition have to do with my child’s oral health?

Answer: Consuming optimal nutrition fuels every part of your body. A healthy mouth includes healthy teeth and gums that can successfully and comfortably break down foods. As you can see, this is a full cycle. Good nutrition leads to strong teeth, which allows your child to take in more of those healthy foods.

Question: What should I do if I think the lunches provided by my child’s school aren’t very healthy?

Answer: We suggest packing a lunch for your child – or doing this as a team effort with your child – to make sure the nutritional content is healthy. You can also focus on packing foods beneficial for oral health by limiting sugars and selecting water instead of juice or sports drinks.