Your Child’s Consumption of Fruit Juice

As a conscientious parent who’s anxious to protect your child’s oral health, you likely know that you have to limit your child’s consumption of certain items. Candy and soda can wear away at the enamel of young, developing teeth. But here’s something you might not know: fruit juice can do the same thing.

Family dentistry is often as much about education as it is about treatment, and we want our Rocky Mount-area patients to know as much as possible so that they can make informed decisions for their families.

And when it comes to fruit juice, the information available is not good. Most common fruit juice products contain almost as much sugar as sodas. When that sugar is combined with the acidity of fruit juice, you have a recipe for enamel degradation.

This doesn’t mean your child can never have fruit juice, of course. Generally speaking your child should drink no more than four to six ounces of fruit juice per day. And when your child drinks fruit juice, have them sip it through a straw so as to limit its contact with your child’s teeth. Also, if possible, try to limit fruit juice to meal time – the saliva produced while eating can wash away fruit juice residue.

If you live in or around Rocky Mount, North Carolina and you need high-quality family dentistry, please call Boles, Ham, Dixon & Boles, DDS today at 252-291-2892 to arrange a consultation.