As a parent, your number one concern is the health and safety of your little one. You might be wondering if it is okay for your young child to drink popular kiddie beverages like fruit juices and flavored punch.
Juice is a hot topic of debate in parenting communities; some parents claim that giving a baby juice is completely harmless, while others are against it entirely. You might be wondering, “Can I give my baby juice?”
If you want to know the truth about juice’s impact on your baby’s dental health, we have the facts for you.
To find out more about how to take care of your child’s oral health schedule an appointment with Trident General Dentistry.
How Juice Affects Your Baby’s Teeth
When your baby’s teeth are forming, it is important to start practicing good dental hygiene habits. This will set the tone for your child’s dental health throughout their entire life. Juice can damage your baby’s teeth and set them up for dental problems later in life.
Due to its high sugar content, juice wears away your baby’s tooth enamel and raises the risk for cavities. The sugar in both natural fruit juices and store-bought juices combines with the bacteria in your baby’s mouth to form acids. These acids damage your baby’s teeth and create serious dental problems.
Juice and Your Baby’s Health
Despite past assumptions that 100% fruit juice is healthy, scientists have discovered that juice has no nutritional value for your baby.
Juice delivers all of the sugar content to your baby’s digestive system without any of the fiber and helpful nutrients found in whole fruits. Juice is essentially made of empty calories that provide no nutritional benefit.
Juice can also give your baby a premature craving for sugar. The more sugar a child consumes, the more they crave it. Commercial juices found in grocery stores often contain added sugar, further increasing the calorie content and decreasing the nutritional value of these beverages.
Can I Give My Baby Juice?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that children under one year old should not be given juice at all. After one year of age, the AAP states that juice should be given very infrequently, if at all.
In short, juice is not recommended for children, especially babies and toddlers. High juice consumption during childhood has been linked to health problems later in life.
Some of the health issues associated with childhood juice intake include obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and poor dental health. Dentists strongly advise against juice because of its role in tooth decay and cavities. Sugar, including sugar from fruit juice, is one of the most common causes of cavities in children.
Get Regular Teeth Cleanings for Your Baby
Regular dental visits can help prevent sugar-induced cavities in your baby’s teeth. Even if you do not give your baby juice, it is still important to get regular dental checkups.
At Trident General Dentistry, we have a compassionate team of dental professionals who love working with children. We perform thorough teeth cleanings and encourage healthy dental habits to keep your baby’s teeth in great condition.
Start your baby off with great dental hygiene by booking an appointment with us at Trident General Dentistry today!