Eating/Drinking Habits

Encourage positive eating/drinking habits, including limiting juice, discontinuing the bottle, not drinking after brushing, infrequent snacking, and less-cariogenic food choices.

Avoid these habits:

• Continual Bottle/Sippy Cup Use: Children who drink juice, soda, and other liquids that are not water, from a bottle or sippy cup continually throughout the day or at night are at an increased risk of caries.

The frequent intake of sugar does not allow for the acid it produces to be neutralized or washed away by saliva. Parents of children with this risk factor need to be counseled on how to reduce the frequency of sugar containing beverages in the child’s diet.

• Frequent Snacking: Children who snack frequently are at an increased risk of caries. The frequent intake of sugar/refined carbohydrates does not allow for the acid it produces to be neutralized or washed away by saliva. Parents of children with this risk factor need to be counseled on how to reduce frequent snacking and choose healthy snacks such as cheese, vegetables, and fruit.