Nutrition

Excessive sugar consumption is one of the main causes of early childhood caries (ECC). We tend to think that sugars are only contained in snacks and candy, but this is not entirely correct. It is also necessary to pay attention to the contents of the bottle with which young children often fall asleep and, in breastfeed children, to the frequency of night feedings. If sugar remains on the teeth during the night, processes that lead to the formation of caries are activated. Similarly, in older children, it is important to monitor the consumption of sweets. In fact, sugar makes the pH of the oral cavity more acidic, creating an environment favourable to the caries development – the buffering power of saliva raises the pH in about 30 minutes, reducing the action of cariogenic bacteria. If, after a while, the baby starts to consume more sugar, the saliva will not have time to raise the pH of the mouth and the action of bacteria can be maintained longer, causing the development of caries.