Part 2: How Do I Prevent My Kids From Getting Cavities?

Stopping cavities all starts with understanding how kids get cavities.

Once you know why they happen, preventing cavities is as easy as 1, 2, 3...4!

1. Space out the meals and snacks!

Dr. Pete recommends spacing out meals and snacks about 2 hours apart to prevent cavities. Grazing throughout the day gives the bacteria in our mouths frequent opportunities to make acid, and sometimes our saliva can't repair the minerals in our teeth fast enough to keep up with the microdamage. When we space out the snacks, our saliva gets more time to repair our teeth, and that protects them from cavities.

2. Drink plain water often!

Drinking water throughout the day is one of the most important ways to prevent cavities. Water is wet, so naturally it flushes acids away from our teeth that would otherwise cause cavities. Drinking Omaha water is particularly important because Omaha water contains a small, safe amount of fluoride that strengthens your teeth. Omaha water also has an average pH of 8.8, which makes the environment in our mouths less acidic when we drink it. That's important because bacteria need an environment with a pH of 5.5 or lower to cause cavities! More plain water equals fewer cavities.

3. Clean your teeth daily and use a fluoride toothpaste!

Brushing and flossing help to remove bacteria and stuck-on food. Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is important because fluoride physically changes the outer surface of our teeth into a stronger, crystal-like structure called fluorapatite. Fluorapatite is more resistant to acid breakdown. Dr. Pete even recommends leaving a little bit of toothpaste on the teeth after nighttime brushing to give our teeth longer exposure to the fluoride.

4. Visit Dr. Pete a couple times a year! (or more. we like to see you.)

Eating right, drinking plenty of plain water, and regular brushing can all help prevent cavities, but they can still happen to anyone. That’s we encourage you to bring your kids to the dentist at least twice a year!

Click here to request a visit with your favorite Omaha kids dentist! We'll discuss these important cavity prevention strategies and do some healthy-smile planning to make sure your kids have good smiles, good health, good life.