Dietary Recommendations

Based on evidence-based guidelines & Dr. Sam’s clinical experience

Infancy

  • Breastfeeding is recommended by most organizations supporting children.

  • The WHO recommends breastfeeding for two years.

  • Before the age of one, breastmilk is considered protective in terms of cavity growth.

  • There is no research showing that breastmilk alone causes cavities.

  • There is an increase in incidence of cavities when breastfeeding is extended beyond one year (why?)

  • Because of this discrepancy, Dr. Sam encourages her families to continue the nursing relationship as long as they desire coupled with regular dental visits & excellent oral hygiene.

  • Past 1 year old, the only liquid put into a bottle for a young child should be water unless it’s mealtime.

Childhood

  • Sugar-sweetened beverages (even natural sugars) should be limited.

  • Healthy snacks include fresh fruits & vegetables, grains with at least 50% whole grains by weight and proteins.

  • If possible, try to limit snacks to no more than 3 times a day.

  • Think about the texture of the food- if it’s sticky or particularly carbohydrate -rich, try to follow it up with something crunchy and lots of water to help remove debris from the grooves of molars and between teeth.

  • Try to avoid calling foods “good” or “bad” but rather speak in terms of “all the time” versus “every once in a while”- we want our kids to develop healthy relationships with food.