Over the years of my practice I have been asked many questions by many parents. The next issues will bring up some of these questions.
My Daughter never eats any candy - How can she have so many cavities?
Many people do not realize other factors in the foods that their child eats can cause cavities. Even naturally-occurring sugars (for example Juices and dried fruits) can cause decay. Additionally, the frequency of eating or snacking, and the physical properties of the foods also affect the development of tooth decay
Eating Frequency
Each time your child eats, the mouth environment becomes more acidic, which is optimal for tooth decay to occur. Over a few hours, the acidic conditions in the mouth neutralize, which halts the tooth decay cycle. If your child is constantly snacking or having sweet drinks (pop, fruit juice,) throughout the day, there is not enough time for the mouth to neutralize, and it constantly is in the perfect condition for tooth decay to form.
A good rule of thumb is to finish off a meal or snack with water to flush the mouth and start the neutralization process.
Oral hygiene also plays an important role in potential for developing cavities. Make sure your child brushes his or her teeth after breakfast and before bed time. Children up to age 8 need assistance at least once a day with their tooth brushing and flossing.
A few of my child patients have admitted to me that they have a snack before bedtime after they have brushed their teeth. It is very important to brush after the snack and not to have any food in the mouth before bedtime. Night time is the time that the bacteria have a very high chance to grow, especially if they have food to feast on.
**Be sure to check out LULU Brush Time on our Kids page to help encourage your child to brush regularly.
My Daughter never eats any candy - How can she have so many cavities?
Many people do not realize other factors in the foods that their child eats can cause cavities. Even naturally-occurring sugars (for example Juices and dried fruits) can cause decay. Additionally, the frequency of eating or snacking, and the physical properties of the foods also affect the development of tooth decay
Eating Frequency
Each time your child eats, the mouth environment becomes more acidic, which is optimal for tooth decay to occur. Over a few hours, the acidic conditions in the mouth neutralize, which halts the tooth decay cycle. If your child is constantly snacking or having sweet drinks (pop, fruit juice,) throughout the day, there is not enough time for the mouth to neutralize, and it constantly is in the perfect condition for tooth decay to form.
A good rule of thumb is to finish off a meal or snack with water to flush the mouth and start the neutralization process.
Oral hygiene also plays an important role in potential for developing cavities. Make sure your child brushes his or her teeth after breakfast and before bed time. Children up to age 8 need assistance at least once a day with their tooth brushing and flossing.
A few of my child patients have admitted to me that they have a snack before bedtime after they have brushed their teeth. It is very important to brush after the snack and not to have any food in the mouth before bedtime. Night time is the time that the bacteria have a very high chance to grow, especially if they have food to feast on.
**Be sure to check out LULU Brush Time on our Kids page to help encourage your child to brush regularly.
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