Totally get the veggie struggle—my youngest is the same way. But honestly, I've found that worrying too much about specific crunchy veggies might be overthinking it a bit. Our dentist mentioned that even softer fruits like apple slices or pears can help clean teeth naturally because of their texture and fiber. So if bell peppers or carrots aren't always a hit, maybe try mixing in some fruit options? Might ease the stress a little...and keep snacktime less of a battle.
"Our dentist mentioned that even softer fruits like apple slices or pears can help clean teeth naturally because of their texture and fiber."
That's a good point—I never thought about pears helping with teeth cleaning. My daughter loves sliced pears, so maybe I've been stressing too much about carrots and celery... snacktime might just get easier now, haha.
I get the appeal of pears and apples, they're definitely better than sugary snacks, but honestly... I wouldn't rely on them too much for cleaning teeth. My dentist explained that while fruits like apples and pears have fiber and texture that can help remove some surface plaque, they still contain natural sugars and acids that can linger on teeth. So, they're not exactly a substitute for brushing or crunchy veggies like carrots.
My nephew used to snack on apple slices all day thinking it was great for his teeth, but he ended up with cavities anyway. Turns out moderation is key, even with healthy snacks. I'd say keep the pears coming (especially if your daughter loves them), but don't ditch the celery sticks just yet—those fibrous veggies really do a better job at scrubbing teeth naturally. Plus, they're lower in sugar overall. Just my two cents from experience... snacktime might still need a bit of balance after all, haha.
I totally get what you're saying about fruits not being a perfect substitute for brushing, but honestly, I think the whole "fruit sugars causing cavities" thing might be a bit overstated. My daughter went through a phase where she absolutely refused veggies—no celery, no carrots, nothing crunchy and green. Apples and pears were pretty much our saving grace during snacktime, and we didn't see any major tooth issues from that alone.
Of course, we were careful about brushing regularly and making sure she drank plenty of water afterward to rinse away lingering sugars. But I do think the fiber in apples and pears does more good than harm, especially compared to processed snacks or juices. The texture really seems to help get rid of some plaque buildup, even if it's not as effective as a toothbrush.
One thing our dentist mentioned was timing—it's apparently better to give fruit as part of a meal rather than snacking all day long. Constantly exposing teeth to sugars (even natural ones) is what can lead to trouble. So maybe your nephew's cavities had more to do with frequency rather than the fruit itself?
Anyway, I agree moderation is key, but I wouldn't worry too much about fruit sugars if you're balancing things out overall. Kids' teeth can be tricky, and genetics probably plays a role too. My friend's kid barely eats sweets and brushes religiously, yet still ended up with cavities, while another friend's kid snacks on fruit all day and has perfect teeth. Go figure, right?
Bottom line, I'd say don't stress too much about pears or apples—just keep brushing regularly and offering water afterward. Teeth are complicated, and every kid's mouth seems to react differently.
Same here, we never had issues with fruit sugars either, but bottle decay was a nightmare for my youngest. Dentist said nighttime bottles were the real culprit...apparently milk sugars sitting overnight are way worse than fruit. Teeth stuff is honestly so random sometimes.
