Dr. Sarah Villasenor and the team at Rise and Shine Pediatric Dentistry will help you learn how to keep your child’s smile shining bright by avoiding these common mistakes that can often lead to cavities!
1. Gummy Vitamins
Many children take a gummy vitamin either before bed or on their way out the door in the morning. Gummy vitamins are made with sticky sugar, and while this taste is appealing to children, it can do serious damage to teeth. Chewable vitamins are better for teeth than gummies, and should ideally be taken before or during a meal. After the vitamins are taken children should brush their teeth to make sure they don’t get stuck in the teeth.
2. Organic Juice
This sounds healthy, but don’t be fooled. Organic or not, it is still filled with sticky sugar that stays on the teeth and causes cavities to grow. Cavities develop when sugar sticks on teeth for a prolonged time, so it’s best to limit juice intake and have your child drink water between meals. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends eliminating juice from your child’s diet for their overall and oral health.
3. Sharing cups and utensils with family and classmates
We all have different kinds of bacteria in our mouth, and certain varieties cause cavities more than others. Eventually, most adults do acquire some cavity-causing bacteria, but the younger this happens, the higher a person’s risk for cavities in their life. To avoid sharing cavity-causing bacteria with your children, try not to share cups or utensils. The same goes for classmates and friends- your child should not share cups or utensils, since this type of cavity-causing bacteria can also be shared among children.
4. Waiting to start flossing
Tooth brushing can only prevent cavities on surfaces of the teeth where the toothbrush can reach. While it is ideal for children to have space between the front teeth, most children’s back teeth are positioned tightly together by age 3 or 4, in a position where they can only be completely cleaned by flossing. Children’s highest risk area for cavities is in between these back teeth, which don’t fall out until around age 10-13. Flossing baby teeth is important for healthy smiles!
We are here to help!
Our team at Rise and Shine Pediatric Dentistry is here to help your child avoid these simple mistakes that can lead to preventable cavities. Request an appointment with Dr. Villasenor today!