Keep your kids cavity-free

Keep your kids cavity-free

Here are some school meal and snacking advice to help protect your children from tooth decay - the single most common chronic childhood illness, affecting more than half of children aged 5 to 17 years.

"It is clear that junk foods and drinks gradually have replaced nutritious beverages and foods for many children," says Kimberly Harms, American Dental Association (ADA) consumer advisor.

"Dentists have a saying, 'Snack and sip all day, risk decay.' Constantly bathing the teeth in sweetened beverages and unhealthy snacks is like providing an all-you-can-eat buffet for the bacteria in your mouth - the bacteria that cause tooth decay," Harms says.

The ADA offers some advice for parents on how to reduce children's tooth decay: Sugary foods and drinks consumed as part of a meal are less harmful than when they're consumed as a snack. That's because saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acid production and rinse food particles from the mouth.

Limit between-meal snacks. Choose nutritious foods for snacks and consider chewing sugarless gum after a snack. Sugarless gum increases saliva flow, which helps wash out food and acid that causes tooth decay.

Fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay.

Brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily.

Encourage your children to eat more fruits and vegetables, less sweets."