As a child grows up, it’s incredibly important to practice good oral hygiene. Brushing teeth and flossing improve your child’s oral and overall health. However, there are still many problems that can arise in your child’s dental health.

Cavities
Cavities are very common for children, but they can be avoided. Encourage your children to practice good nutrition by avoiding sugary foods, starches and soda. Instead, recommend fruits and vegetables for snacks. Experts agree that children need food from all the major food groups to grow properly and stay healthy. Too many carbohydrates, sugars and savory foods can cause tooth decay. Also, make sure your child has professional fluoride treatments at his or her scheduled dental cleanings.

Because cavities are a primary obstacle in children’s dental health, dental sealants to protect teeth are a valid option. Dental sealants are a coating that is safe for the mouth and fills areas where bacteria would otherwise reside. Sealants fill imperfections in a tooth, even before a cavity has a chance to start. When placed on a child, sealants can extend the life of molars by preventing cavities from forming.

Sports and Energy Drinks

In recent years, more children have been consuming sports and energy drinks. New research shows that these drinks can wreak havoc on kids’ teeth in as little as five days. The Academy of General Dentistry looked at acidity levels in 13 popular sports drinks and nine energy drinks and found that while acidity varies by brand and flavor, immersing a sample of tooth enamel in the drinks for 15 minutes four times a day caused obvious damage after only five days.

Since high acid levels can permanently damage the glossy enamel of children’s teeth, it’s important to recommend other alternatives. While some children believe that sports and energy drinks will help them improve their sports performance, you can inform your children that water is also beneficial.

Children can protect their enamel by sipping sodas and sports drinks through a straw – and skipping or limiting energy drinks. Also, recommend a lower-acid drink, like root beer, milk, iced tea or water.

After consuming a high-acid drink or food, your first instinct may be to brush your teeth. Instead, tell your child to wait an hour afterward to brush their teeth and just immediately rinse with water. Since acid softens enamel, brushing would erode the enamel more easily.

Mouth Breathing
If your child is a mouth breather, he or she may be facing increased decay. Mouth breathing can cause increased decay because it dries up the saliva that protects against cavity-causing bacteria. Sometimes, mouth breathing occurs because of seasonal allergies.

Always talk to your dentist about issues like mouth breathing. When your child gets help, they can have increased energy, improved academic performance, better energy and overall improvement in lifestyle.

– Guest blogger Jennifer Vishnevsky is a freelance writer for Top Dentists, an online dental health resource site, as well as other lifestyle media sites.