How do parents make their child's Diet safe for
his/her teeth?

First, be sure he/she has a balanced diet. Then, check hoe frequently he eats foods with sugar or starch in them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and such snacks as pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond sugar bowl and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugar, and all types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables and most milk products have at least one type of sugar.

Sugar can be found in many processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet. For example, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly, but also may have sugar added to the peanut butter. Sugar is also added to such condiments as ketchup and salad dressings.