As a parent, it’s your responsibility to make sure your kids’ teeth are healthy and strong throughout their entire childhood. Although the most important thing you can do to assist your kids with their dental issues is to regularly visit your family dentist, the next step is to make sure that you’re not buying too many foods and drinks that cause serious teeth problems.

Again, consult with your family dentist on major dental issues, but beware of these popular foods and drinks that can damage your teeth.

Energy Drinks and Sports Drinks
Kids love fun drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and Propel, but they are actually quite damaging to your children’s teeth. It won’t hurt to buy an individual Gatorade here or there, but regularly buying cases of these sports drinks can do serious damage. As much as sports drinks are harmful to your kids’ teeth, researchers have found that exposure to energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar results in twice as much enamel loss as sports drinks (3.1% to 1.5%).

Gummy Vitamins
Although children love the taste and look of gummy vitamins, they are not as great for their teeth as you might think. Because these snacks are both chewy and sticky, they adhere to your children’s teeth for a long period of time. Pieces of these vitamins can get stuck in the grooves and in between teeth, which can lead to severe cavities. There are plenty of vitamins available, however, that aren’t as sticky and can go down much easier for your kids.

Popcorn
Popcorn is such a perfect snack for kids. It’s easy to make, it’s easy to serve, and there is usually enough to go around for the entire family. Unfortunately, popcorn can ruin your kids’ teeth if they eat too much of it. Not only is popcorn typically covered in butter and sometimes unhealthy powdered cheese, but the pieces can get stuck in between teeth for hours, resulting in damaged tooth enamel and cavities. Getting a small bag of popcorn at the movies once in a while isn’t too bad, but if you rely too much on popcorn around your home, your kids are going to need to visit the family dentist a few more times.

In addition to regularly visiting the family dentist, make sure your kids aren’t eating and drinking all these unhealthy products too much. If you want to talk to experienced pediatric dentists about healthy food and drink alternatives for your kids to enjoy, contact Smilez Pediatric Dental Group.