Teeth friendly snacks for teenager

[AnythingNotEverything]

Hello!

I hope someone may be able to help ...

My very almost 13 has had a bit of a telling of from the dentist an orthodontist re oral hygiene. He is gearing up for braces, but still has a few baby teeth. Both professionals have said he needs to clean his teeth better and for longer.

This isn't a problem - we can introduce an extra teeth brush after school.

My query is about healthy and tooth friendly snacks. My ds eats like a horse, and it's becoming hard to keep him full on fruit/yoghurts.

Any suggestions? TIA!

[fieldfare]

Protein. Let him have some cheese with an apple, peanut butter on toast or spread on a celery stick, hard boiled eggs, these are all snacks my dd likes and help her stay full for a bit longer.

[MadAboutHotChoc]

Fruit/yoghurts are not that teeth friendly as our dentist keeps telling us.

Veg sticks are better although if your DS is anything like my DS and his friends, they all seem to want carb rich food to satisfy their hunger pangs - noodles, pasta, sandwiches (made with wraps, pittas and sliced bread), toasties etc.

[AnythingNotEverything]

Ooh great suggestions ... Although I'm not sure i'll convince him on the veg sticks!

I'd love to have a stash of healthy homemade fridge snacks like hard boiled eggs and cooked pasta salad, and I think carb/protein snacks like tuna sandwiches may be a success too.

Anything to replace the biscuit habit and keep him full!

[secretscwirrels]

My dentist says fruit is the greatest enemy of children's teeth.

[EdBird]

also drinks - other than water, tea and milk - are generally to be avoided. Fizzy drinks and fruit juices / squashes /flavoured water are acidic. The saliva cannot get pH of mouth back to normal for about 40 minutes after acidic drink and it is then that teeth vulnerable to bacteria which thrive in acidic conditions. This time is longer if on some medications.
A bite of cheese, or the bit of fat in milk in tea, can provide a buffer to this acid.
Also, some studies have shown xylitol gum to reduce tooth decay so could use that between meals/after school lunches? I haven't checked brands recently but I think Orbit Complete has plenty of xylitol in it

[BackforGood]

My ds stocks up on carbs - noodles, pasta, etc. Also toast and cereal (tho not the sugary sort!) fill them up.

[lljkk]

Veg Sticks.
Teenagers.
Haahahahahahahahahahahaha....! You guys ARE funny.

Cin-Rais bagels & croissants go down well here, OP. DS should be getting his brace off in about 3 months (after 1.5 yrs, yay...!

[LilQueenie]

my dentist told me meat and veg are as bad as each other because its all do to with bits getting stuck between teeth and rotting. Flossing is your best bet

[flow4]

Fruit and yoghurt are NOT 'tooth friendly'! If your DS has dental problems, he probably needs to cut down on yoghurt, and anything else that's sweet and 'coats' the teeth. Things that are particularly bad include fizzy drinks, fresh fruit juice, smoothies, milkshakes, other sweet drinks like hot chocolate and Horlicks, sweetened breakfast cereals, fromage frais, and obviously biscuits, cereal bars, flapjacks, sweets and chocolate...

If he's hungry, then he probably needs more carbs. My two teenage boys (13 and 17) go through about a loaf of bread and/or bagels, half a box of cereal, 2-6 packets of noodles, a pizza or two, and sometimes some pasta too, almost every day as well as their regular meals, and are both slim, and have never had fillings despite 'unreliable' dental hygiene!