Our dentists aim to prevent dental disease rather than treat it at a later date. Fluoride applications and fissure sealants (tooth coloured sealants) are applied to biting surfaces of children's teeth to prevent decay.
How can I prevent tooth decay in my child?
The main cause of tooth decay is not the amount of sugar in the diet, but how often it is eaten or drunk. The more often your child has sugary foods or drinks, the more likely they are to have decay. It is therefore important to keep sugary foods to mealtimes only. If you want to give your child a snack, try to stick to cheese, vegetables and fruit, but not dried fruit.
If your child has acidic fruit juices/fruit i.e. oranges, regularly this can cause acid erosion in the teeth. We advise that after your child has had acidic foods or drinks that they wash their mouth out with plain water to get rid of any excess acid. They must not brush their teeth for at least an hour after consuming acidic foods or drinks.
Thorough brushing twice a day, particularly last thing at night, will help to prevent tooth decay.
