Sugary snacks

[SueC]

I prided myself on not being one of those moms who is a freak about not letting their kid have any sugar--I figure I enjoy sweets so why should I deprive my kids. That said, I do try to give them healthy snacks, don't let them drink a lot of pop, juice, etc. I thought I'd found a pretty good balance, but after taking my 4 year old to the dentist I'm starting to rethink my policies. I'm diligent about having her brush her teeth (and then I go over them to make sure they are thoroughly brushed) but apparently that hasn't been enough. She's got 3 cavities that she has to go to the local children's hospital to get fixed--they're going to put her under, fill the cavities, and then put a sealant over all of her teeth to try to protect them in the future. I had tons of cavities when I was a kid, too, even though my mom hardly ever let me drink pop and didn't keep lots of sweets in the house. I think part of it must be hereditary, but I guess I'm going to have to come up with some better policies about how much or how often they get sweets. Do any of you guys have any hard and fast rules you stick to? Prior to this, I only let them have juice at breakfast, and they really only drink soda if we are eating out. I do let them have sugary cereals and I tend to make things like cookies and brownies from time to time. I should confess that we just got done having a snack of graham crackers with frosting (bad mom!). I feel terrible that the poor thing has so many cavities already, and being that I provide most of her care I suppose I'm mostly to blame.

[mommax3]

Sue,
I think it sounds like you are doing great in limiting sugary stuff for your kids. I think I have heard that some people just have weak enamel or something (I am sure there is a term for this but I don't know what it is) and there is not a whole lot you can do except be thankful for that sealant stuff.

Don't be too ####### yourself.

Sally

[Meenah]

I agree with Sally. Don't be too hard on yourself. I was middle of the road with snacks, diligent with tooth brushing/flossing. One daughter had cavities and one did not. I believe genetics plays a huge role.
Luanne

[DCJenn]

The genetic component can't be overlooked. Of course, limiting sweets to very occasional treats isn't a bad thing, either. My mom has really good teeth and my father's entire family has crappy teeth- thankfully my brother and I got her teeth.

I have had four fillings, and the first wasn't until I had my braces removed at 16 and the last three were in San Antonio where all I drank was nonfloridated water.

Jenn

I agree too that you can inherit bad teeth. I have a mouth full of fillings. My daughter is limited with sugary snacks (most of the time) and when we took her to her two year old checkup she had 2 cavities on the way.. (and we are good about brushing). I don't know what to do about either?