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 Any food allowed to sit on the teeth--not simply snack food like candy--can contribute to cavities
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Even responsible, well-informed parents might believe that candy is the number one biggest threat to teeth and the top catalyst leading to cavities.
With Halloween and year-end holiday candy bowls filled to the brim, overreaction from mothers and fathers about the dental dangers of candy suggests misconceptions about the real dangers to oral health.
“Most parents do assume that cavities are caused by candy, says pediatric dentist Jeanne Hibler, DDS.But it’s not just candy: it’s any food that has any kind of sugar or carbohydrates that can be broken down by the bacteria in your mouth.
Any food that sits on the teeth long enough for cariogenic (cavity-producing) bacteria to eat away at tooth enamel can cause cavities.
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| Pediatric dentist Jeanne Hibler, DDS notes that diet, fluoride, genetics, and brushing all contribute to dental health |
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STICKINESS
Many factors determine whether a person will have cavities or not. Dental researchers continue to gather evidence that eating habits, rather than food choices, are a critical factor of whether caries, or dental cavities, will form.
Other interacting factors that affect dental health include saliva flow, minerals, fluoride in water or tooth products, genetics, frequency of eating, dentist visits, teeth brushing, and flossing.You can’t do much about genetics; you can do a lot about the environmental impact [by controlling] the foods you eat, says Dr. Hibler.
The properties of food also have an effect on the threat of cavities: stickiness, for instance.
When dental researchers set out to discover which foods remain on teeth the longest, they discovered a few surprises.Some people think that candy like caramel and jelly beans are the worst, Hibler says.But often the problem is more chips, potato chips, and crackers--particularly peanut butter crackers.
The bacteria and their byproducts, found in the almost invisiblefuzzy feeling plaque, use carbohydrates to produce acids that can decay tooth enamel over time.
Candy, like caramels and jelly beans, dissolve rapidly because they are made with soluble sugars wash away more rapidly than starch-based products.
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| While caramels and jelly beans dissolve quickly in the mouth, potato chips and granola bars stick to teeth longer, potentially contributing more to cavities. |
HABITS EMPHASIZED
Hibler, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, says specific foods are no longer being singled out by dental health educators as major risk factors for cavities. Preventative action, for example, with fluoride pills and sealants, and good habits, like after-meal brushing, are emphasized.
“Occasionally, [eating] candy is not a problem, says Hibler.It’s the high frequency, the daily use that is a problem. Teenagers, especially, get into drinking a lot of soft drinks. [The surfaces] right around the gum line, and the white areas of demineralization, [will] eventually break off into cavities.
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| Tooth decay is a problem among children under age five |
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INFANT TOOTH DECAY
Tooth decay is on the decline in most children, yet it’s almost epidemic in kids under age 5.
Between ages 1 to 3, baby bottle teeth is a problem caused by inappropriate feeding practices, nursing, and feeding on demand.
Ever-present sweets aren’t the only culprit hurting young children’s teeth.They acquire bacteria from an early age, from parents kissing them and putting hands in their mouth: eventually you will get it.
Parents can help reduce the risk of early cavities by cleaning an infant’s mouth.Children at that age aren’t really receptive to dental treatment, to have anyone looking in their mouth, but it is good to get the parents in the right program or making sure that there aren’t any real problems currently in the mouth, says Hibler.It’s much easier to take care of the problem early on. | 
