You & your child » 1 - 2 years » Health & daily care » Dental decay
Natural and added sugars in food and drinks can cause holes in teeth (dental decay). Bacteria in the plaque on teeth makes acid from the sugars and this acid can dissolve the surface of the teeth.
In between eating, the saliva in the mouth hardens the teeth again. Holes in teeth are caused by eating and drinking sugary foods and drinks too often.
Holes can be caused by:
The best message is: give teeth a rest. Give the teeth time for saliva to harden and protect them in between eating and drinking.
Children need small meals and 2 or 3 nutritious snacks each day. Choose protein-rich snacks, and foods which stimulate saliva flow.
The best time to eat sweet foods is at the end of a meal. Try to use low-sugar snacks between meals such as fruit, fresh vegetables, yoghurt and other dairy foods.
Water is the preferred drink to give children, apart from milk. If you want to give fruit juice, dilute it with water. Give it in a glass or cup and not a sipper bottle. Avoid soft drinks, sports drinks and undiluted fruit juice.
Thanks to Colgate and the NZ Dental Association's Healthy Smiles for their contributions.
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