Ways To Reduce The Number Of Cavities That Your Kids Develop

If your child has had an unusually large number of cavities lately, you may be concerned that their oral health will continue to decline, eventually affecting their adult dental state. Nevertheless, many children experience dental caries during childhood. 

Like adult cavities, pediatric cavities develop due to the presence of acids in the mouth. Oral bacteria excrete acidic waste as they digest their food. Once these microbes feed on the simple sugars in your child's mouth, the acidity of the oral environment increases.

When your little one's tooth enamel is exposed to acid, the enamel dissolves. As enough of the enamel leaves specific areas of a tooth, holes form, resulting in cavities.

Even though cavities may be a common problem among children, they are preventable. Here are a few steps that you can take to help reduce the number of dental caries that your child experiences. 

Swap the Sodas and Sports Drinks for Water

Many kids love flavored drinks. However, the drinks are often heavily sweetened with sugar. Since simple sugars serve as food sources for the microbes in the mouth, upon consumption, the drinks can cause a large release of decay-inciting acid.

In hopes of lessening the amount of sugar that their children ingest, some parents may only offer artificially sweetened drinks to their youngsters. These drinks may offer the advantage of less sugar, but they may still harm the teeth.

Diet sodas and sugar-free sports drinks are often quite acidic. Thus, they still cause the dissolution of the tooth enamel and may lead to the development of cavities. 

Unlike sugary or acidic drinks, water is not harmful to the teeth. On the contrary, the clear drink helps dilute acid in the mouth. If the water is fluoridated, it can even help strengthen the teeth. The fluoride draws the dissolved minerals back to the tooth enamel and forms replacement tooth material.

Replace Traditional Chips With Crisp Veggies and Fruit

Traditional chips are often made of potatoes or corn. Both of these starches break down in the mouth to form simple sugars. Thus, like candy and other sugary snacks, they can promote an increase in bacterial acids. 

Instead of traditional chips, parents can encourage their children to munch on fresh veggies or crunchy fruits. The fibrous texture of the vegetables and fresh fruits can help clean the teeth, scraping away plaque in a manner similar to the actions of toothbrush bristles. Still, it is important to limit the ingestion of strongly acidic fruits.

To learn more ways to preserve your youngster's oral health, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area.