Best Drinks for Your Teeth

There’s a lot of talk about drinks that are bad for your kids’ teeth, but now it’s time to focus on the positive. From standard healthy teeth drinks, to choices you’d never think of, here are the healthiest drinks for your children’s health:

Milk

The calcium, protein and Vitamin D in milk are all great for your teeth. When milk is skimmed, it is also low-fat and low calorie. If your child is lactose intolerant, there are various lactose-free milks on the market now, whether it’s almond, coconut, cashew, soy or rice milk, all of these will also provide valuable calcium and other vitamins. For children who don’t like milk, try a healthy flavored variety, like chocolate or strawberry. Just watch out for the sugar.

Real Fruit Juice

This means juice found in the natural/health aisle, not the juice in plastic bottles found in the juice aisle. Real juice contains actual fruits and is usually non-acidic. Apple or pear juices are good choices. You can tell that your child is drinking real fruit juice if you read the label and there aren’t any additives, or if there are noticeable chunks and/or pulp in the juice. Brands like POM and Bolthouse Farms have a large variety of real fruit juice.

Water

That recommended serving of water isn’t just keeping your little ones hydrated. It also acts as a brushing in between brushings, rinsing away residue on the teeth and gums. The best kind of water is actually tap water, since it’s usually fluoridated. However, you can also find bottled water that includes fluoride and filtration systems tailored to keep it.

Clear tea

Clear tea like white or green will not only rinse your teeth but act as a saliva stimulant, which is beneficial for teeth. These teas should probably only be given to slightly older children and make sure to not add lemon, sugar or other sweetener, as these can damage the teeth. Remember that darker teas, along with those that are caffeinated, can stain teeth. Always avoid bottled teas that contain additives.

Root beer

Soda is bad for our teeth. We know this. However, if your child insists on a soda, try a natural root beer. They are low in the sugar and acidity that cause damage to teeth. Give your child a straw to drink with so that direct contact with teeth is minimized.

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