My child has cavities

  • Caries is the #1 disease children are facing in the United States according to the CDC

Why do my kids get cavities?

Cavities are caused by a bacterial infection on the teeth known as “caries”.  Dental caries is the #1 childhood disease, five times more prevalent than #2, which is asthma.  This infection in children is primarily caused by:

  • Transmission:  this infection is contagious!  The most common route of transmission is termed “vertical transmission”, which means parents or primary caregivers infect their children.
  • Prolonged acidic oral environment: this can be associated with a sugary/acidic diet or frequent nursing/bottle feeding.  These factors can promote an acidic bacterial infection.
  • Lack of good hygiene: keeping the oral environment clean and at an alkaline pH is important even prior to the first tooth erupting.

Facts about children with cavities

  • Dental caries is the #1 childhood disease, 5 times more prevalent than asthma, which is #2.
  • Effective caries prevention during pregnancy decreases the newborn child's risk of getting the caries infection.
  • Many children have had to undergo general anesthesia, which is sometimes required to do dental work, before they are even five years old due to dental disease.
  • 3 out of 4 kids will experience dental pain due to decay before graduating high school.

Expert Advice

  • Visit a dentist who is performing “caries risk assessment”, where they evaluate what reasons are contributing to your child getting cavities, and offer treatment of the infection beyond drilling and filling.
  • Limit not only sugary/carbohydrate containing items in your child’s diet, but also even non-sugar containing acidic beverages (i.e. diet sodas, coffee, tea, sparkling water, fruit juices).
  • Xylitol is a very effective agent for limiting the acids produced by bacteria and comes in wipes, gums, sprays, mouth rinses, and toothpastes that are safe and that kids love.
  • Supervise a hygiene program for your children including the use of alkaline pH and xylitol products.
  • Understand that fluoride can be important, but is used to remineralize enamel and make it stronger.  Fluoride's effectiveness at treating the bacterial infection has limits.
  • Check with your local water supply company to find out if there is fluoride in your water.
  • More information on caries risk assessment for kids can be found in this Policy Statement from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.