How to protect your child’s teeth — and "healthy" foods that are actually full of sugar to avoid

You probably know that sugary foods are bad for your teeth. But some foods that you might think of as healthy can be harmful for young teeth, too.

MadeForMums spoke to a dietitian and a dentist about how to feed your child to protect their teeth as well as provide a healthy diet.

Sugary foods cause tooth decay

When we eat or drink, plaque forms on our teeth. Bacteria that cause decay live in that plaque and convert the sugar into food and drink into acid. Over time, this acid breaks down the enamel on our teeth and eventually the inner parts of the teeth too, leading to cavities.

This doesn’t mean you have to cut sugar out of your child’s diet completely. It’s more about how many times a day they eat sugary foods, rather than how much they eat.

“Any food or drink consumed (other than water) results in acid attacks in the mouth. If you eat three times in a day, these acid attacks are limited to three daily. If there is frequent snacking throughout the day, this results in multiple acid attacks and a higher risk of tooth decay,” says Theviya Naveenan, a London-based dentist and former committee member of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry.

Lucy Upton, a registered dietitian specialising in children’s nutrition based in the Cotswolds, told MadeForMums: “The highest risk foods for tooth decay include sugar-sweetened drinks, fruit juice, and high-sugar foods like sweets, chocolate, pastries, ice cream/lollies, cakes, and even some cereals.”

Some foods are more sugary than you might think

But it’s not just the usual suspects that contain tooth-threatening sugar.

All foods that contain sugar can cause tooth decay — even whole foods like fruit.

“Foods high in natural sugars, or with a sticky consistency that easily clings to teeth, such as dried fruit and raisins, can also pose a risk for tooth decay,” Lucy says.

And foods that are marketed as “healthy” are often still high in sugar to make them palatable for kids.

“Parents will find that many children’s snacks or foods use marketing claims like ‘no added sugar’ or ‘only natural sugars’ but are still high in sugar. Snack bars, cereal bars, and many dried fruit or jerky snacks can be included in this,” Lucy says.

“While I never say these foods can’t be included as part of a balanced diet, I would suggest parents consider how often these foods are on offer, and prioritise other nutritious snacks which are lower in sugar where possible,” she adds.

"I really want to emphasise that fruit does not need to be demonised, and offers a wide range of benefits to children from fibre to essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I encourage parents to focus on whole fruit options wherever possible, as the natural sugars in whole fruits are still contained in their cell walls, so do not act in the same way as added sugars."

How to reduce tooth decay via diet

Lucy says, “When considering sugar intake, I encourage parents to be aware of guidelines and to approach the issue pragmatically.”

Dietician Lucy and dentist Theviya have plenty of tips to help protect your children’s teeth:

1. Try to offer your children only water and milk. If your child needs help cutting out sugary drinks, Theviya recommends Air Up bottles, which use scent to make plain water taste flavoured.
2. If your kids are drinking juice or fizzy drinks, limit them to one portion (100-120ml) a day — and consider diluting to 1 part juice and 10 parts water. Have them use a straw, so less sugar reaches their teeth.
3. Avoid your child eating or drinking anything other than water within an hour of going to bed. This is because acid can sit on the teeth for much longer overnight.
4. Try to reduce the amount of sugar in your child’s diet. Theviya recommends only giving children sweet food and drinks twice a week, but Lucy says that making healthy swaps can help, too. For example, consider tooth-friendly healthy snacks like cheese or hummus with crackers, peanut butter with oatcakes, or unsweetened yogurt with oats and nut butter.
5. Check food labels to help you avoid buying high-sugar foods. Sugar may not be listed as ‘sugar’ on food labels — it comes in other forms, like glucose, honey, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, maltose, dextrose, and fructose. The higher up in the ingredient list, the more of an ingredient is found in a food. You can also look at the ‘of which sugars’ part of the nutrition table. Low sugar foods have less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams of food.
6. If your kids are having food or drinks that are higher in sugar, offer them with meals rather than grazing on them during the day. “This reduces the frequency of acid attacks on the teeth, and the increased saliva production during meals helps to neutralise acids and rinse away food particles,” Lucy says.

General dental health tips for parents

“It goes without saying, but establishing a good routine with twice-daily teeth brushing is key! I know from personal experience this can be tricky with toddlers, but routine, songs and modelling are all good strategies to help,” Lucy says.

She also recommends switching from bottles and sipping cups to open cups or straws after your child turns one, to protect their teeth.

Theviya has more tips, too:

1. Wait 30 minutes to an hour before brushing children’s teeth after eating or drinking anything (except water).
2. Don’t rinse toothpaste away after brushing — spit the excess out, but let the fluoride sit on the teeth.
3. Chew sugar-free gum after eating or drinking to help saliva flow and wash sugar away.
4. Book a visit to the dentist for a checkup when your child’s teeth come through — this helps them get comfortable at the dentist, and not just associate it with pain.
5. Use disclosing tablets to check children over the age of six are brushing well. They are chewed after brushing at night and stain areas that have been missed while brushing.
6. For children who struggle with brushing, neurodiverse children or children with sensory difficulties with brushing, consider using non-foaming, flavour free toothpastes, and different brush types.

These can include: a silicone finger brush, a Dr. Barman brush (touches all three surfaces of the teeth at the same time), or a U-shaped toothbrush.

Pics: Getty

Read more:

• When should you take your baby to the dentist?
• 11 of the best toothbrushes for babies, toddlers and children – tried and tested
• 10 essentials for keeping tiny teeth healthy