Health-conscious parents often give their children water “with a splash of juice” in between meals. It’s mostly water so it’s healthy, right? Unfortunately, no.
Giving your child diluted juice all day is a recipe for cavities. Even though your child might not be getting that many grams of sugar, as a dentist we’re more concerned about the frequency that your child’s teeth are exposed to sugar. So drinking a cup of full-strength juice at mealtime isn’t that bad for their teeth, but sipping on juice-flavored water all morning or afternoon is.
Every time the mouth is exposed to carbohydrates, like with juice, the oral bacteria make acid. That acid hangs around for about 20 minutes before the acid is neutralized by your child’s saliva. Unfortunately, those acids on the teeth are what cause tooth decay and cavities. So sipping on diluted juice all day is just exposing the teeth to acid all day and inviting tooth decay.
The best thing for your child to drink in between meals is plain water. Offering water in fun cups and water bottles, or adding ice, can make it more appealing. Also, model healthy habits so your kids see you drinking water between meals. If they still refuse plain water, you can add sugar-free water enhancers, like squeezable Mio or Crystal Light. The goal of squeezable flavor is to slowly wean them off the water enhancers so they are just drinking plain water between meals.
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The key to protecting your child’s teeth and ensuring their overall dental health is to make plain water the go-to drink between meals. Remember, fostering healthy drinking habits is not just about quenching thirst—it’s about setting the foundation for a lifetime of good dental health. To help your child stay cavity-free, please ditch the diluted juice between meals and stick to water for optimal hydration. Our Pediatric Dentistry team of San Antonio, Texas is here to help your child’s growing smile. If you have questions or need to schedule a visit with one of our dedicated dentists, Dr. Derrick Cantu and Dr. Christi Wengler, please call 210-680-7841 today!