Nutritional counseling is an important part of pediatric dental services. Even children that brush and floss can get cavities if their nutritional habits are lacking.

The FREQUENCY of snacking puts teeth at risk. Every time we eat snacks that have sugars or carbs, the mouth is slightly acidic for about thirty minutes. This is the cavity-causing danger zone. As soon as kids brush, rinse, or allow saliva to wash out the mouth over time, the acidity is gone and the mouth is “back to normal”. Kids who snack frequently might be in the danger zone all day long!

The teeth need a break between meals and snacks, preferable two hours or more, to remineralize and recover from the acidity. Going to sleep with a bottle or with food on the teeth increases risk because during sleep our saliva flow slows down. A sleeping mouth is a great place to grow the bacteria that cause cavities.