Diet and Children

Diet is probably the most single most important factor in determining whether cavities form. Did you know sugar can crop up in unsuspecting places?

• Try to avoid sweets, lollies and sweet drinks (cordial, soft drinks and sports drinks) between meals as these are particularly likely to cause cavities.
• Soft drinks contain acid in the bubbles, even diet varieties. This erodes the tooth enamel and weakens the teeth. Sports drinks do not rehydrate better than water and contain sugars which attack a dry mouth more quickly than if you are not thirsty.
• Pop-tops encourage children to suck on a drink for long periods rather than drink it. Pop-tops should only ever be filled with water, if used at all.
• Avoid sticky snacks like roll-ups in lunch boxes, they have little nutritional value and remain stuck to the teeth for a very long time.
• Small children need regular snacks but try to keep the snacks balanced. For example, a cheese stick and sultanas balance each other out.
• Take snacks with you if you go out, then you can control what your child eats and when (and also what it costs you!)
• But always consider the nutritional value of food before excluding it from your diet. As an example, fruit is full of natural sugars, but also vitamins, fluid and fibre, so of course we include it.