09/10/2026
As families adjust to the new school year, the Nova Scotia Dental Association (NSDA) is reminding parents that what goes into a child’s lunchbox can have a lasting impact on their oral health.
While convenient, kid-friendly snacks such as fruit roll-ups, chewy fruit snacks, granola bars, cereal bars, cookies, crackers and other packaged snack foods can contain significant amounts of added sugar. Some can also be sticky or slow to dissolve, allowing sugars to remain on the teeth for longer periods of time. Frequent exposure to sugar gives cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth the fuel they need to produce acids that attack tooth enamel.
“Parents are often doing their best to pack lunches that their children will actually eat, but it’s important to remember that some foods marketed as healthy snacks can still be high in sugar,” says Dr. James Brunt, President of the Nova Scotia Dental Association. “It’s not about telling children they can never have these foods. It’s about limiting how often their teeth are exposed to sugar and choosing tooth-friendly options more often.”
The NSDA recommends that parents consider replacing or supplementing sugary packaged snacks with options such as:
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Cheese and other lower-sugar dairy products
• Plain or lower-sugar yogurt
• Nuts and seeds, where permitted by the school
• Whole-grain crackers with cheese or other lower-sugar toppings
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Water as the main lunchbox beverage
Parents should also be mindful that how often children consume sugary foods matters. A child who snacks on sugary or starchy foods repeatedly throughout the school day may be exposing their teeth to acid attacks again and again. Whenever possible, sugary foods are better consumed as part of a meal rather than as frequent snacks between meals.
“Water is one of the best drinks to send to school,” says Dr. Brunt. “It helps rinse the mouth, contains no sugar and, in communities where drinking water is fluoridated, provides the added benefit of fluoride for protecting teeth.”
The NSDA also encourages parents to establish good daily oral-health habits as children head back to school: brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between the teeth daily with dental floss, drinking water regularly and visiting a dentist for recommended checkups.
A healthy school year starts with a healthy smile — and a few simple changes to the lunchbox can help keep children’s teeth healthy all year long.
