4 Foods That Strengthen Your Child’s Teeth

Kids have a mind of their own when it comes to food. The unhealthier it is, the more they tend to like it. Most taste driven or sweet foods are harmful for your child’s oral hygiene. However not all foods that your children like to eat are as bad for their oral health, some even help strengthen their teeth.

Here are 4 foods that your children can have for healthy teeth and gums.

1) Sugarless Gum - It helps loosen plaque and increase the number of natural antibodies in the mouth. It also keeps the gums hydrated. While too much of anything is not good, these gums are good once in a while.

2)  Crispy Vegetables  - These might not be popular with children but can be made yummy with interesting dips to go with them. Raw carrots, celery, cauliflower, and green beans are chewing foods which clean the child's teeth and gums.

3) Natural Sugar - Sugar from milk, yoghurt and cheese are rich in vitamin D, phosphate and calcium. When consumed, they raise the pH level of the mouth which lowers the level of acids, hence reducing risk of tooth decay.

4) Vitamin C Rich Foods - Fruits like oranges, kiwis, strawberries, papayas and limes help kill bacteria that can cause gingivitis. They also aid a good supply of collagen in the child's gums. However, parents need to remember that one can eat citrus foods only after thirty minutes from brushing their teeth. This is because the citric acid in these foods can weaken the tooth enamel temporarily.


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4 Foods That Strengthen Your Child’s Teeth

Breastfeeding has shown to have an incredible impact on the growth and development of an infant on account of the nutrients which are provided to the baby. The mental development which occurs due to breastfeeding is said to show even years from the time that a person was an infant. When a person considers just how important breastfeeding truly is, she would not want to make a mistake, would she?

A lot of new mothers are concerned, if their babies seem to fall asleep while feeding a lot quicker than they should. As a matter of fact, they worry that the babies will not get enough breast milk and this can stunt the development of the young ones. While this is true, it can be said that a few steps taken can make sure of the fact that there would be nothing for the mothers to worry about.

Inadequate consumption: It is natural for a baby to have a tendency to fall asleep, after all, that rapid rate of growth is likely to consume a lot of energy. In order to make sure the baby consumes enough milk prior to falling asleep, what should be done is that the mother should transfer the baby from one breast to the other one when she notices that the rate at which the baby is consuming is slowing down. The effect this has is to make sure that the rate of transfer is maximised; as the fastest rate, the milk transfers is when the baby begins suckling, for the first few minutes.
Risk of Infection: Taking into due account what a sensitive and important process breastfeeding is, it can be said that an infection is something which can disrupt the process. One of the infections happens to be thrush. This is one which can spread from the mouth of the baby to the breasts of the mother. The effects of the infection include soreness and possibly even a rash. A doctor would probably provide the patient with some anti-fungal medication in order to fight the infection off.
Latching problems: Another issue which is faced by new mothers is that there is a pain when the baby is to latch on to the nipple. In order to reduce this, what can be done is that the mother can try keeping the baby in a position to cover as much of the area under the nipple than over and adjust the baby to cover the nipple when he or she yawns.
These are just some of the common issues faced by new mothers. However, following a few simple measures can ensure that the experience of breastfeeding is most satisfying for both mother and child.

Common Breastfeeding Problems & Their Solutions!

Lactose intolerance is a condition wherein you are not able to digest lactose, which is a sugar found in milk. Other foods that contain lactose include cheese and ice-cream. Inadequate production of the lactase enzyme in children causes lactose intolerance. This enzyme is produced in the intestine that helps in the digestion of lactose.


Lactose intolerance is often confused with milk intolerance. The symptoms are similar but they do not share the same cause. Milk allergy is an adverse reaction towards milk and it is a problem of the immune system, whereas lactose intolerance involves the digestive system.


Symptoms-
The symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
Bloating; on consumption of milk over a period of time
Diarrhea is also very common
Stomach pain
Nausea


Diagnosis-
It is self -diagnosable; just strike out foods containing lactose from your child s diet and see if the symptoms get better with time. If the symptoms happen to fade away gradually, then it certainly must ve been lactose intolerance.
However, it can be tricky as many non-dairy products also contain lactose.
If the child is lactose intolerant, then he/she might have to undergo a lactose breath test. This is used to test the levels of hydrogen in the child s breath after the child consumes a lactose solution. Usually, hydrogen levels are low in one s breath. However, if the lactose solution is not digested properly, then it will lead to a temporary increase in the levels of hydrogen in the breath, thus indicating lactose intolerance.


Treatment-
This disorder does not have a cure; so in case your child has lactose intolerance, you need to adjust his/her diet accordingly. Over-the-counter lactase is also available that helps in digesting lactose based foods. You can also go for the  lactose- free  milk variety for your child.


Lactose Intolerance in Kids

Children are much more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disorders than grown-ups. This is because the gum and teeth in toddlers are very delicate. Moreover, children are more attracted to sweets and other food items, which cause damage to the teeth.
Here are several ways to protect the teeth of your little one:
1. Have a dental checkup: you should take your child to a dentist on his first birthday. Early prevention is important as any kind of problem in the teeth will be detected and this will save you from a lot of trouble in the future.
2. Teaching healthy habits: brushing is very important and you should teach your child to brush regularly, more than once a day. Before the development of teeth in your baby, you should brush his gums gently by using water on a soft baby toothbrush or with a clean and soft cloth. After developing teeth, brushing must be practiced with delicate toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste. If several teeth touch against each other, you should use flossing. Brushing is essential before going to bed, and no food should be taken after brushing.
3. Prevent" baby bottle decay: you should not let your child go to sleep with a bottle of juice or milk. The sugar contained in these liquids sticks to the child's teeth, which activates bacteria and may lead to tooth decay.
4. Avoid giving juice to your child: juice may be healthy for the body, but it leads to tooth decay in little kids. The amount of regular juice intake should never be above four ounces.
5. Avoid excess use of a sippy cup: sippy cups enable children to shift from bottles to a glass. However, all day long usage of sippy cups should be restricted as it may cause decay on the front and back portions of teeth, when the drinks are rich in sugar.
6. Be careful about sweet medicines: many medicines meant for children are sugary and stick to the teeth, increasing the chance of cavities. Several antibiotics cause overgrowth of candida or yeast and cause an oral disease known as oral thrush. This disease causes creamy patches on the tongue. In case your child needs sweet medicines, brushing should be increased.
7. Stop using a pacifier by the age of 2 or 3: pacifiers are good for children, but using pacifiers for a long period of time affects the lining of teeth. The shape of the mouth may also change. Hence, do not let your child use pacifiers after 2 or 3 years of age.
Children are quite prone to teeth disorders and decay in the teeth. Hence, measures must be taken to protect the teeth of children from any kind of disorder.

Ways to Protect the Teeth of Your Little One

Tonsillitis, in the easiest terms, is the swelling of tonsils in our throat that is accompanied by symptoms like throat pain, difficulty in swallowing/ drinking, altered voice and fever etc.

As in the case of most infections, the occurrence of tonsillitis is more common in children due to relatively lower immunity and habits that invite infections. Let's take a look at the first line of defence when you have a cranky child with swollen tonsils.

1. Make your child gargle with salty warm water: This treatment is most helpful in any infection in the mouth. Add half teaspoonful of salt to a glass of warm water and make the child gargle with the mixture as many times in the day as possible (to a maximum of 5 times). Continue till the condition prevails.

Make sure the child spits out the water and not drinks it.

2. Antibiotics: Consult the ent specialist and have the antibiotics if it is a bacterial cause as per the doctor. Take the alternative treatment prescribed in case of other causes. The entire course of medication should be completed even if the kid gets better sooner to eliminate all traces of bacteria.

3. Painkiller/numbing lozenges: Painkillers that are prescribed by the doctor can be given to ease the pain. Same is the case with lozenges but care should be taken that he/she should not have too many of these.

4. Allow him/her to take rest: It does help in a betterment of the condition!

5. Give warm (not hot) soothing food: Soup, ginger honey mixture, ginger tea can help soothe the inflamed tonsils in most cases. The condition, more often than not, gets better within 7-10 days.


Best Ways to Deal With Tonsillitis in Kids

Type II Diabetes is also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) or Adult-onset Diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome characterized by increased level of sugar (glucose) in the blood due to deficiency or inactivity of hormone 'Insulin' that is absolutely necessary to monitor glucose metabolism of body. This is a metabolic disorder that is primarily characterized by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency and consecutively hyperglycemia. Diabetes is prevalent worldwide and if not attended properly, it may lead to serious complications.

Causes of Type II Diabetes:

Diabetes basically occurs due to defective insulin secretion combined with defective responsiveness of the body to the insulin (also called Insulin resistance). Due to both these factors, hyperglycemia starts occurring in the body. It is strongly associated with obesity and with increasing age. A strong inheritance pattern has been noted in cases of type 2 diabetes. Sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc pose as risk factors for developing Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes can begin at any age though it is not very common in childhood. It usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin but later it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. This ultimately results in Hyperglycemia (high levels of glucose in circulation).

Homeopathic Treatment for Type II Diabetes:

Diabetes is a constitutional disorder as it is an offshoot of constitutional defects (genetic factors, altered immunity) having an impact on the entire constitution of an individual. Hence it calls for an in-depth constitutional approach for its management.

Homeopathy is based on the principle that disease is a total affliction of body. Moreover, homeopathy recognizes importance of the underlying causes such as genetic and inherited factors as the root of any ailment of the body. Homeopathic medicines prescribed on such criteria plays a crucial role in management of many deep-rooted, chronic, difficult diseases; one amongst them being Diabetes.

When we talk about diseases like diabetes, we talk in terms of management rather than cure. Homeopathic treatment along with intake of hypoglycemic drugs and/or insulin can prevent the progress and the complications associated with this condition. Moreover timely administered homeopathic medicines help in maintaining the levels of exogenous insulin and hypoglycemic drugs at minimum possible dosage and in preventing the further progress of the disease. However, it may be noted that there is no substitute to insulin in homeopathy. The role of a healthy diet and exercise cannot be underestimated along with all the above treatment measures.

Diet Food For Diabetes

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