February 24, 2022

Juice’s Effects on Your Child’s Teeth

Juice is energizing and can be rather tasty. Juice, unfortunately, is not necessary for a healthy diet due to its high sugar content and acidity. Juice can contribute to one of the primary causes of dental decay in youngsters if drunk frequently.

Juice's Effects

Juices with a lot of sugar in them might be harmful to your teeth. Once the youngster has finished their cup of juice, any remaining sugar sticks to the teeth until it is wiped away. The carbohydrates left in the mouth cause the saliva to become more acidic. This toxic mixture puts the youngster at greater risk of enamel erosion and cavity formation.

Sugar has an easier time causing cavities in baby teeth since they are smaller than permanent teeth. Children’s teeth are important not just for a beautiful smile, but also for learning how to eat and communicate properly!

So, how can we have our juice and keep healthy at the same time?

When you’re having a meal, offer some juice. The meals and saliva production will aid in the removal of any remaining glucose.

Avoid drinking juice right before bedtime or late at night.

Allow only water to be poured into sippy cups. With sippy cups, children are more likely to be mobile, which means they have more opportunities to expose their teeth to juice.

Fruits should be served instead of juices. Fruit in tiny serving sizes contains less sugar and artificial chemicals. After snacking, we recommend rinsing and flossing your teeth to eliminate any fruit stuck between your teeth.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following juices should be consumed:

Children under the age of one year. Fruit juice should not be given to infants under the age of 12 months because it has no nutritional value at this age.

Children aged 1 to 3 years. Limit yourself to 4 ounces of fruit juice per day.

Children aged 4-6. Limit yourself to 4-6 ounces of juice per day.

Children aged 7-8. Limit yourself to 8 ounces of juice per day.

Alternatively, switching from juice to water is a terrific way to improve your smile and overall health. It will take some time, but it is achievable! Encourage them to drink water, but above all, to enjoy it. You become a wonderful role model for your children if you can reduce sweet drinks and improve water intake.

Remember, the longer you delay offering juice to your children, the less likely they will learn to beg for it! If you believe your kid is at risk for poor dental health as a result of juice or sugar, make an appointment with your Pediatric Dentist as soon as possible.