10/27/2021
KIDS LOVE SUGAR, but so does the harmful bacteria that causes cavities, which feasts on the residue that remains in the mouth after eating a sugary treat. Every time we eat something sugary or acidic, it takes thirty minutes for our saliva to wash everything away. 👅How can parents fight back? Swap out some of those sugary snack foods with fruits and veggies and try to limit sugar consumption to mealtimes.
Fruit juice might seem like a healthy alternative to soda, but it has just as much sugar and is nearly as acidic. Not even milk is sugar-free! Sugary drinks are especially dangerous to teeth when kids have sippy cups or bottles to sip on them constantly. When they do this, their teeth are continuously bathed in sugar.
The risk of decay in this situation is so high that it’s earned its own nicknames: “bottle rot” or “baby bottle tooth decay.” 🍼So just like with sugary treats, we recommend cutting back on sugary drinks and especially limiting them to mealtimes. For between meals and close to bedtime, water is a much better option to put in the sippy cup.
Aside from limiting sugar intake to mealtimes and generally cutting back on it, there are plenty of other ways to help a child have a cavity-free smile. 😃One is to be a good example of proper dental hygiene habits and to teach them to have those habits too.
