S/O of the juice post

justEK

I'm curious since I had a dentist appointment today and we talked about my kids' teeth. Our dentist said you can tell which kids do not get much juice.

If you give your kids juice, how are their teeth? Have they been to the dentist?

And, if your kids don't get much juice, how are their teeth?

AnnapolisLari

DS has had juice very rarely, has 4 cavities and is looking down the barrel of LOTS of dental work.

As far as I am concerned, it has more to do with the lack of flouride in the water at my mom's old place (we didn't even consider that it was a community well, not city water and didn't have flouride).

shopgirl78

My kids drink juice.

DD- has had 2 cavities, both in her 6 year molars.  I was told that was because when those teeth are coming in, food get stuck between the overlapping gums and tooth.  Both of those cavities were in the last 6 months.

DS1- has been to the dentist 3 times, no cavities. 

summerbrideDC

We pretty much gave up juice (except if he specifically requests it or is in a group/party) and the gummy style vitamins after he got a cavity.  No idea if those were the culprits or if we just weren't brushing well enough or what.  But it seems silly to me (for my family) to pile on sugary things when they're not something he really cares about one way or the other. 

Halo79RN

my kids drink juice.  and they brush their teeth twice a day and see the dentist twice a year and no cavities.  they are 3 and 5 y/o.  only tooth related anything is a chipped tooth for dd after a fall.  otherwise, no problemo.  

my dentist also swore I was having a boy based on my gums.... when I was pg with dd.  

joy143dh

DS drinks juice 1x/day, eats gummy vitamins and has the occassional fruit snacks. He brushes 1x/day.  (I know we need to start brushing in the morning!) He has been to the dentist 3x. We are told he has perfect teeth and gums each time.  Good teeth run in DH's family - not sure if that has anything to do with it.

jessicaclare

DD has juice and her teeth were proclaimed to be "in perfect shape" by the dentist. I asked about the whole juice/sugar thing and he said that it does obviously matter, what matters more is heredity and regular teeth brushing/flossing.

gogadget

I  am a dental health professional and can definately tell you there is a genetic link to over all oral health......however diet does play a huge role in caries formation as well.

Juice is not the devil when given in moderation just like anything else... Kids should not be given juice in sippy cups all day or at night to go to bed with and yes I've had patients who went to bed with juice......12 cavities later....

 Todays kids have access to a lot of sticky food, gummy snacks fruit by the foot honestly oreos are the stickiest thing around,....also be careful of popsicles which is just juice in a different form

I would say the more the child snacks or has sugary juice inbetween meals the more at risk that child will be because every time the ph changes in the oral cavity due to a snack/drink the greater the chance for caries to form.  hope that helps

 

eclaires

Jackson has juice occasionally and we don't keep it in the house most of the time.

He has no cavities, and the dentist said his teeth are in great shape and they can tell we have taught him to brush well.  I'm sure some of it is genetics though.  I never had cavities until I was in high school.

Yodajo

My boys get juice and are cavity free. 

There are a few things to consider.  If a child is sipping on juice throughout the day, the place where decay will begin is in between the teeth.  If they are consuming a lot, you may see generalized decalcification (weakening of the enamel-whitish looking spots) along the gumline throughout.  So, I am guessing that is what your dentist meant when he said what he did.  Usually decay on the biting surfaces of the tooth (aka-in the "grooves") isn't caused by juice, but by other snacks and lack of effective hygiene. 

Timing is everything.  You could give your child 8 oz of juice, watered down or not, but let them sip on it between meals for a few hours and that would be worse for their teeth than if they got 16 oz straight and drank it quickly with lunch.  Both my boys only have juice with lunch and never between meals (except for special gatherings). 

 

BubblyToes

My kid gets juice pretty regularly.  His teeth are perfect.  No cavities, no problems.

eclaires

Isn't milk as bad as juice as far as teeth go?  Or is juice worse because of sugar content?

I thought with teeth basically anything but water can be an issue - esp if you are drinking it throughout the day, not with just meals.

Yodajo

eclaires:

Isn't milk as bad as juice as far as teeth go?  Or is juice worse because of sugar content?

I thought with teeth basically anything but water can be an issue - esp if you are drinking it throughout the day, not with just meals.

Juice is worse because it is also acidic.  So you have sugar + acidity which equals a perfect environment for decay to develop. 

Milk does have sugar (maltose) and sipping on that all day is also not healthy for your teeth.  If my kids are thirsty in between meals, they get water.  Max gets milk before bed, but we brush right after.  Always. 

It is so important to be mindful of what your kids drink and snack on in between meals.  

Melett

My ds has maybe one Capri sun roaring waters a day and mostly prefers to drink water, never drank juice or milk in bed and had 6! Cavities .. I was so sad. The dentist said it is because his teeth are so close together and the cavities touch and spread. She also said it is from our well so now he does a Flouride rinse and tablet each night. The dentist also said it is genetics and some people just get more. It's really disappointing because neither dh or myself have had many cavities, but my teeth are pretty close together too. My mom takes great care of her teeth and has always gotten cavities.idk DD doesn't have any cavities and has nice gaps between her teeth that kids normally have..they have their 6 month check up on Friday so I guess we will see. Their dentist did say to make sure they don't eat chewy sticky treats and when they are given a sweet treat to give them things like chocolate..