A dentist has shared a fact about cavities that most of us would have never known.
As parents, we all want to keep our kids healthy, and obviously dental health is as important as any other aspect of physical health. And so when it comes to avoiding cavities and keeping their teeth healthy, we teach them how to brush from when that first tooth comes out, limit sugar and stick to water between meals.
However, according to a dentist, preventing cavities should start long before our kids even get their first tooth – and it might be a common habit we all do that is the biggest culprit of all.
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Common feeding habit that can cause cavities
In a post shared to Instagram, dentist Vaishali Kansal reveals the mistake parents make when our kids are just babies that can lead to cavities later in childhood – and honestly, we never knew!
In text overlaying a video, Dr Kansal writes:
‘These things are silently destroying your kids’ teeth.’
And the number one mistake parents make that puts their babies at risk? Eating from the same spoon or even just licking their spoon when we are feeding them.
Dr Kansal writes:
‘That spoon you just shared with your baby? You just transferred the bacteria that causes cavities directly into their mouth. Cavities are contagious. Most parents find this out too late.’
And as it turns out, the dentist was absolutely right about spoon-sharing and the risk to children’s teeth.
This is what the British Dental Association has to say:
‘Sharing feeding spoons with your baby should be avoided for as long as possible. Research shows that bacteria can be transmitted from parents to the baby through saliva by sharing eating utensils, dummies or even kissing on the lips.’
They add:
‘Infants’ first teeth begin to erupt at around six months of age. As babies often fall asleep with milk, formula or food in their mouths, this leaves their teeth more susceptible to dental decay. But decay only occurs if tooth tissue, carbohydrates or sugar and cariogenic bacteria – the bacteria that causes tooth decay – are together in the mouth. So the longer we can keep infants from being inoculated with harmful cariogenic bacteria, the better.’
