Balance Cavity Causers with Cavity Fighters

Balance Cavity Causers with Cavity Fighters

During infancy, children go through a stage when they try to stick into their mouths almost anything they can get their hands on. While children eventually learn the difference between plastic blocks and actual food, that doesn’t mean everything that’s edible belongs in their mouths. Some foods help children’s teeth grow healthy and strong. Others rot them away. It’s important to know the difference.

Cavity Fighters—Consume a Lot of These!

• Fluoridated water: Easily available in most areas and an essential part of a child’s diet, fluoridated water helps prevent cavities and keeps your child hydrated.
• Milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy foods: The calcium, phosphates and vitamin D found in dairy products all promote strong and healthy teeth. Even better, calcium can actually form a barrier on top of the tooth that protects it from acids that cause cavities.
• Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables: These versatile foods are not only good for your child’s mouth but they also serve as an effective alternative to some of the “cavity causers” listed below. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables stimulate the flow of saliva that washes away the acids and food particles that lead to cavities. And as a bonus, these foods will freshen your child’s breath.
• Xylitol gum: As a sweetener in sugar-free chewing gum, xylitol shows great promise for cavity prevention because the bacteria present in the mouth cannot use xylitol to grow. With xylitol use, fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces, less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surfaces decreases. When purchasing sugar-free gum, check the list of ingredients. If xylitol is listed first, the amount will be at decay-preventing levels.

Cavity Causers—Avoid These!

• Sugar-sweetened chewing gum, caramel, taffy and other sticky candies: Not only do these foods contain lots of sugars but they actually stick to your child’s teeth and cause his or her mouth to fill with acidic bacteria that rot the teeth.
• Soft drinks and fruit juices: These beverages are full of sugar and take a long time to drink, thus remaining in your child’s mouth long enough to create an ideal environment for cavities to develop.
• Citrus fruits: Citrus is incredibly acidic. And acid eats teeth. Don’t let your child suck on these fruits or keep them in his or her mouth for long periods.

Being smart about what your child eats is important, but it’s not enough. If you want to do everything you can to fight cavities, bring your child in to KiDDS Dental on a regular basis.

Dr. Jared would love to answer any further questions regarding your child's oral health. Call us to schedule an appointment today! 509-891-7070.