Children's Cavity Prevention
Question:
How do I prevent my child from getting cavities?
Answer:
Monitoring your child’s diet and oral hygiene are important factors in preventing dental decay. We recommend helping your child brush their teeth twice a day and floss any teeth that are touching nightly. A good rule of thumb is if your child can cut meat into perfect squares they likely have the manual dexterity to start brushing and flossing on their own.
When your child is ready for this transition, we recommend you continue to supervise their oral hygiene. After nighttime brushing and flossing, only allow your child to have water before bed.
Never allow your child to sleep with juice or milk overnight. Frequent sipping on sweet drinks (juice, soda, sports drinks) can increase your risk of getting cavities. Try to limit these types of beverages as much as possible. Drinking water with meals or after snacks helps wash off the food and sugars from teeth and is especially important if your child is drinking sugary beverages.
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