When it comes to having a great smile and keeping it looking great, one of the best ways of accomplishing this is knowing what foods and drinks you should avoid. This is imperative for toddlers and children since good dental habits begin early in life. At the practice of Dr. Barry L. Jacobson, we take a unique approach to dental pediatrics in New York City. We strive always to emphasize a combination of preventative dental care and proactive dental care. When you and your family come to our officer, you can expect expert care no matter your age.

For the moment, the team here would like to take a moment to discuss the various foods and drinks that your child should avoid or have sparingly in order to prevent tooth decay and cavities. We can discuss more of these options for good dental habits in greater detail when you come to our office for a consultation.

First of all, the biggie to keep note of is sugar. Too many sweets and sugary foods are bad for your child’s smile, not to mention his or her health in general. Make sure your child is not snacking too much on candy or drinking soda all the time. Both of these can lead to cavities and tooth decay. In addition to sugar foods, soda can lead to some level of tooth erosion over time because of the carbonation, so be sure that your kids stick mostly to juices and, most of all, water.

Another issue to keep in mind is baby bottle tooth decay. This happens a lot when toddlers have a bottle with them in bed. If it’s filled with milk, formula, or juice, this can lead to tooth decay over the night. We recommend that parents fill baby bottles with plain water in the night instead. This way the baby has something to drink but the beverage is free of sugars and other substances that would contribute to tooth decay.

There is much more to consider when it comes to adult and pediatric cavity prevention, so we encourage you to visit our office to discuss these matters. We can discuss prevention and treatment of tooth decay, including everything from New York City dental crowns to full smile makeover procedures.