This article was written by Stephanie Pettit, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Iowa Child Death Review Team, and Executive Director of Iowa SIDS Alliance. March is National Nutrition Month. For good general and oral health, it is important to eat nutritious, well-balanced meals and to limit sugary snacks. Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases. Although the nation's oral health has improved, decay is still a problem, especially for low-income and minority children, and even teens and adults.
Tooth decay is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth.
What we eat and how often we eat can affect our teeth. Almost all foods have some type of sugar and cannot be eliminated from our diets because many of them contain important nutrients and add enjoyment to eating. Saliva production increases during a meal and helps to neutralize acid production and rinse food particles from the mouth. Limit between meal snacks when possible . Each time sugar or starches are consumed, acid attacks the tooth enamel for at least 20 minutes.