Diet

Dietary choices affect oral health as well as general health and well-being. Good dietary practices can be established by 12 months of age and are maintained through early childhood.⁵

Epidemiological research shows that human milk and breastfeeding of infants provide general health, nutritional, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental advantages while significantly decreasing risk for a large number of acute and chronic diseases.

Breast milk is superior in providing the best possible nutrition to infants. Although breast milk may not cause caries by itself, it is cariogenic in combination with other foods that are high in carbohydrates.⁵ It is crucial to educate parents on the importance of wiping the infants teeth after nursing, especially before bed, and during the night.

Teaching the parents/caregiver the following preventive measures can help reduce the incidence of disease.

• Encourage young children to drink primarily water and plain milk.⁵ If drinking milk, this should be at meal time and water should be offered in between meals and before bed if needed.

• Limit 100% juice.

  • Parents should avoid giving any juice to children younger than 1 year of age (6)

  • Children ages 1-3 years should have no more than 4 ounces a day

  • Children ages 4-6 should have no more than 4-6 ounces per day

• Limit snacking (less than 3x per day)

• Replace high carbohydrate snacks with cheese and protein snacks