No big surprise… sugar is the number one reason children get cavities. Many parents are aware of this but don’t realize it’s the frequency of sugar intake that causes cavities, not the quantity. Every time your child eats or drinks anything with any amount of sugar in it, an “acid attack” occurs in their mouth that can last for up to 30 minutes. During this acid attack, teeth are weakened. A large acid attack can result in the development of a cavity.
As an example, if your child ate a box of ten small cookies all at once, he/she would have one acid attack for up to 30 minutes and the teeth would be strong enough to resist the acid. But if your child ate those ten small cookies at ten different times throughout the day, they would experience a total of ten separate acid attacks of 30 minutes each for a total of 5 hours of acid eating away at the teeth. Their teeth aren’t strong enough to resist this lengthy attack, therefore cavities develop.
As a parent, you already know children eat frequently. It’s important to encourage them to eat and snack on foods that don’t cause cavities. Snacks high in sugar or carbohydrates can cause cavities, especially if the teeth have frequent exposure for prolonged periods of time (e.g. sucking on candies/suckers, eating dried/sticky fruits or sipping sugary drinks).
Encourage your children to eat or drink foods in between meals that don’t contain sugar, and allow sugary treats only when they can brush right afterwards.
At AXIS Dental Group our Preventive Dentistry for Kids program was designed to help your children preserve their oral health from infancy to adulthood. Our goal is to create healthy and confident smiles for your children for years to come. That’s why we offer Dental cleanings (prophylaxis), including flossing, fluorides and sealants, Orthodontics, Oral health education and information, Nutrition counselling, and Mouthguards for sports and bruxism (grinding).
AXIS Dental Group is conveniently located in the Dixie Plaza at 14 Lisa Street, south of Queen Street East and west off Dixie Road in Brampton. New to the Brampton, Caledon, Georgetown, Halton Hills, Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, Orangeville, Richmond Hill area and looking for professional dental care? Book your appointment today.
