Healthy Eating

Every time you eat or drink something containing sugar, plaque bacteria on your teeth make acid which attacks the tooth surface. After a while, a hole or cavity forms. This is called tooth decay. To stop tooth decay:

• As soon as you start weaning your child, do not encourage a sweet tooth
• Don’t add sugar to foods and drinks
• Never dip a dummy in anything sweet
• Never put sugary drinks in feeding bottles or infant cups
• Cut down on both the amount of sugar you eat and how often you eat it
• Don’t have any sugary snacks between meals - this will give teeth time to recover from the acid attack
• Stick to just plain water and milk as drinks for young children

For more information on healthy eating for children go to Every Child
For more information, resources and support to help you make healthy eating choices, visit Nutrition Skills for Life

WARNING! HIDDEN SUGAR!

Some snacks can contain more sugar than you realise. Here are some examples of popular snacks that contain large amounts of sugar which can be harmful to teeth.