“Why does my 5 year old have so many cavities?”
My 5-year-old son has lots of cavities. What could be the cause? Are cavities genetic?
5 Answers
Your kid needs to brush twice a day . Bacteria cause cavities .
Hi,
Before I answer that I need to get more information from you….
Does your five-year-old eat a lot of sweets or drink soda? Do you live in a fluoridated area? Does he/she brush and floss teeth regularly? Perhaps he or she has acid reflux or sinusitis or sleep apnea which can lead to dry mouth. Are you using a fluoride mouthwash after brushing and flossing in the evening prior to going to bed such as ACT or Fluoriguard? Did she/he ever have a high fever where liquid antibiotics were prescribed to him or her with cherry flavor? That usually has sugar in it, and if you don’t rinse with water afterwards and go to bed with that lying on the teeth, it can cause cavities.
Hope this helps!
Before I answer that I need to get more information from you….
Does your five-year-old eat a lot of sweets or drink soda? Do you live in a fluoridated area? Does he/she brush and floss teeth regularly? Perhaps he or she has acid reflux or sinusitis or sleep apnea which can lead to dry mouth. Are you using a fluoride mouthwash after brushing and flossing in the evening prior to going to bed such as ACT or Fluoriguard? Did she/he ever have a high fever where liquid antibiotics were prescribed to him or her with cherry flavor? That usually has sugar in it, and if you don’t rinse with water afterwards and go to bed with that lying on the teeth, it can cause cavities.
Hope this helps!
Well now...genetic - yes, that’s a part of it. More likely is sugar consumption, and lack of adequate brushing, etc. Sugary cereals are terrible. Ditto for candy, etc. This doesn’t mean no sugars allowed, BUT limit the exposure and brush! Most children are not good enough at brushing to do it on their own. Another bad culprit for very young children is putting them to bed for nap or sleep with a baby bottle of juice or other sugar-filled liquids. Your child’s decay problems could have begun this way years ago. Get them fixed at the dentist, figure out the sugar exposure, and change that up.
Good luck. Merry Christmas!
Ron H., DDS
Good luck. Merry Christmas!
Ron H., DDS
Diet and home hygiene. Eliminate sugar, brush 2-3 times a day, and use topical fluoride.
There is a genetic component to teeth. However, poor oral hygiene and excess sugar intake can exasperate the genetic component. In young children and toddlers, nursing bottles filled with milk or juice is the greatest cause of excess cavities. You should never put you child to sleep with a bottle unless it is just plain water. Of course, if you live in a rural community where there is no fluoride in the drinking water, then you should supplement with fluoride drops as a lack of fluoride in drinking water makes teeth more susceptible to decay.
