Nutritional Tips for Preventing Cavities in Children
What immediately comes to mind when you think of teeth and cavity prevention?
Sugar, sugar, sugar. You've likely heard that the best way to prevent cavities for your child is to cut out all sugars as much as possible, and let's be honest, that seems downright impossible.
Research has shown that the timing and frequency of consuming those foods and drinks deemed cariogenic (cavity-causing) might matter more than the amounts. (1, 2)
Frequenty Asked Questions
Which foods and drinks are linked to cavities?
While the frequency and timing of cariogenic food consumption is the main factor here, it's important to be mindful of the foods that do play a role in cavity development.
So what are the foods that are linked to cavities?
free sugars (either added into foods such as sugar in soda or found naturally in foods such as in honey);
starchy carbohydrates that can easily be broken down into simple sugars in the mouth;
sticky or gummy foods that stick to the teeth.
Some examples of these foods include:
Any beverages with added sugar and fruit juice, such as soda, juice, flavored milk, sports drinks, Pedialyte, etc.
Pastries such as cakes, cookies, and muffins.
Starchy foods or snacks, such as crackers, white bread, Goldfish crackers, sweetened cereals, and sweetened granola bars.
Sticky foods such as dried fruits, gummy fruit snacks, fruit leather, and gummy vitamins.
Foods with lots of added sugar, such as sweetened yogurt, jams, and jellies.
How does food impact children's dental health?
Tooth decay occurs when the environment in the mouth lends itself to the growth of certain bacteria that destroy the enamel on the tooth, leading to cavities. When eating or drinking cariogenic foods, their sugars create an acidic environment in the mouth, allowing those bacteria to thrive.
After cariogenic foods, the saliva in your mouth helps to neutralize the acidic environment caused by the cariogenic foods, which can help to hinder the growth of the decay-causing bacteria.
BUT! If sugar is frequently consumed, such as when grazing, the saliva won't have enough time to neutralize between eating or drinking. This can lead to a sustained acidic environment, allowing the decay-causing bacteria to damage the teeth.
In fact, one study showed that children who consumed cariogenic foods and beverages between meals more than twice a day were 4.2 times more likely to develop early childhood caries! (1)
Scheduled Meals and Snacks to Improve Dental Health
Reducing the frequency of consumption of these cariogenic foods and beverages allows the saliva time to neutralize and maintain a health-promoting environment for the teeth.
⏰ Creating a routine around scheduled meal and snack times is a crucial way to minimize grazing and cariogenic food exposure. Here are some tips on how to do so:
Having a set meal and snack times about 2-3 hours apart will fit your child's needs while also allowing time for the mouth to neutralize acids from any sugars consumed.
Starting from around 12 months, incorporate breastfeeding or bottle feeding into meal and snack times rather than on-demand, as breast milk and formula also contain carbohydrates that can be easily broken down. Especially try to avoid milk or formula feeding right before bed or overnight after the child has already brushed the teeth. (3)
Keep eating times to 20 - 30 minutes to prevent meals and snacks from turning into prolonged grazing.
Provide only water between meals and snacks. It can help assist in cleaning out the mouth.
At bedtime, after brushing the teeth, only provide water for consumption. A clean mouth overnight allows the saliva to fix any enamel damage. Cariogenic foods and drinks at bedtime are associated with higher risks of cavities. (3)
💡Sticking to a routine benefits a child's oral health and their ability to eat in response to their hunger and fullness cues and develop a healthy relationship with food.
🥳 So good news! If there's a food on this list that you or your child can't imagine life without, you don't have to! Try to have them consume it all at once during a set point in your meal schedule rather than slowly throughout the day.
✍🏻 Evidence suggests that serving cariogenic foods less frequently may be more helpful in maintaining good oral health than limiting the amounts of these foods.
👉🏼SUMMARY
Cariogenic foods and drinks DO play a role in the development of cavities. However, sticking to a meal and snack time schedule can help reduce the frequency of exposure to these cariogenic foods and drinks without eliminating them from the diet completely.
Refer to our post on How to Set a Meal and Snack Routine for tips on creating a schedule!
Until next time,
Easy Bites
Nakai Y, Mori-Suzuki Y. Impact of Dietary Patterns on Plaque Acidogenicity and Dental Caries in Early Childhood: A Retrospective Analysis in Japan. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(12):7245. Published 2022 Jun 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph19127245
Hong J, Whelton H, Douglas G, Kang J. Consumption frequency of added sugars and UK children's dental caries. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2018;46(5):457-464. doi:10.1111/cdoe.12413
Goodwin M, Patel DK, Vyas A, et al. Sugar before bed: a simple dietary risk factor for caries experience. Community Dent Health. 2017;34(1):8-13. doi:10.1922/CDH_3926Goodwin06
