Improve Your Kid’s Chances of Avoiding Sugar

Posted July 22, 2020

Though there are many different factors that can contribute to your child developing cavities, consuming too many sugary foods and beverages is often one of the biggest ones. That’s why it’s a common piece of advice to limit your child’s consumption of sugar-rich candies and other sweets in order to help them avoid things like cavities. However, simply telling your child no isn’t always effective. Sometimes, it can take being more proactive to successfully save your child’s smile from the harmful effects of sugar on their teeth.

Be completely open about the danger

Children love learning, and the best way to teach them to avoid eating too much sugar is to be specific about why. If your child understands what it does to their teeth and how it contributes to problems later, they’ll be more willing to accept the need to moderate their sugar intake. Explain what tooth decay and cavities are, including the discomfort they can cause, and how brushing and flossing is essential to removing the plaque that causes them. Tell them how sugar speeds up the process of oral bacteria attacking their teeth, and how avoiding sugar is a much better option than having to treating their tooth for a cavity.

Don’t forbid candy, just restrict it

If you completely forbid your child from ever eating candy, they’ll be more likely to sneak a lot more of it at times when you can’t stop them. This will negate the entire purpose of trying to restrict their sugar intake and put their teeth at even higher risk, without you realizing it. Instead of completely eliminating candy as a choice, restrict it and save candy and sweets for special occasions. This will also give them something to look forward to, and will set excellent habits that they’ll carry into adulthood about moderating how much sugar they eat.

Give them healthier alternatives to sugar

Even as an adult, knowing that sugar can be dangerous to your teeth doesn’t always outweigh the pleasure in indulging. For your lessons about moderating sugar to be effective, introduce alternatives to help sate your child’s sweet tooth between treats on special occasions. For example, fruits are naturally sweet and don’t contain the processes sugars and carbs that are the most harmful to your child’s teeth. Other alternatives, such as sugar-free yogurt and cheese, can help boost the health of your child’s teeth as well as help them avoid sugar.

Learn about keeping your child’s smile healthy

Helping your child refrain from eating too much sugar is just one important way in which you can help keep their smile healthy for life. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.