Nutrition plays a very important role in oral health. The use of carbohydrates – including sugar – is among the things we need to evaluate during the diet counceling in a pediatric dental practice. Nowadays, sugar is hidden not only in sweets but also in many foods that we would never think of like bread, yogurt, cream, etc. Therefore, our children, even if they do not eat sweets, are exposed to sugar and its effects on a daily basis. The effect of sugar on teeth has to do with the frequency and duration of its consumption. It is important for a child to have separate meals and not to be chewing on something all day.

The consumption of sweets should be limitted to once a day (preferably after the meal), close to the time of tooth brushing. Sticky sweets, such as candies, lollipops and chewing gum, have a dramatic effect on teeth and we should never consume them. In contrast, fruits and cheese are an innocent and healthy snack, both for the child and for his/her teeth.