It’s confusing to think that juice may be bad for our children when we consider the main ingredients in most juices are fruits and vegetables. Additionally, many adults are participating are aware of some of the benefits of juicing as part of their own nutrition plan. Parents are usually aware of the risk of consuming too much sugar and so they ask us if “no sugar added” juice is fine.
We know how much kids love juice and it seems cruel to make them drink only water or milk, right? If you’re a parent wondering what the answer is on the topic of juice and children’s dental health, you’ve come to the right place.
Choose 100% fruit juice, or better yet, do the juicing yourself!
Avoid those foil packs of juice cocktails or sweetened juice boxes or pouches. Even with similar calorie counts, 100% juice or fresh juice you made yourself contains more nutrients.
Remember: juices are empty calories.
Pediatricians recommend eating fruit, not drinking it.
Eating fruit is better.
They’d still enjoy the juiciness, plus the full range of texture and flavor. Aside from the vitamins and minerals, your child also gets fiber to assist with digestion. Fruits as snacks are healthy and provides more satisfaction for hunger than liquid fruits in juices. These choices can go along way in helping to prevent obesity and lowers risk of childhood diabetes.
Teach your child to swish his/her mouth with water after drinking juice.
This simple act rinses off the acid and natural sugars the juice leaves in the mouth.
Serve juice in a cup and do it in a single sitting, preferably with food.
First, this means your child is old enough to drink from a cup. Babies less than a year old shouldn’t drink juice yet unless to relieve constipation. Juice, even unsweetened, has a lot of sugar, so it’s best in limited servings. Each sip is an exposure of acidity and sugar. Food also neutralizes the acidity and sugar so juice is best served with a meal.
Consumption Guidelines
1 to 3-year-olds should only get 4 ounces a day.
4 to 6-year-olds can get up to 6 ounces a day.
7 and up, they can get up to 8 ounces a day.
If you have any further questions about juice please do not hesitate to ask the knowledgable staff at Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan.
About Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan, the offices of Drs. Plunkett, Ralstrom, Makowski, Thanasas, Ker, and Associates
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan have specialized in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1968. Our family-friendly and newly renovated office gives patients and families a more comfortable and consistent experience with dentistry from the very beginning. Our pediatric dentists treat children from newborn to 18 years of age while our orthodontists provide care for both children and adults and are proud to be Premier Providers of Invisalign and Invisalign Teen services. The ability to treat all patients with compassion and individuality, including those that may have special needs reaches beyond our facility, which has treatment rooms available for children who require additional privacy and customized care options. We pioneered valued hospital affiliations to allow dental services to be performed at DMC Children’s Hospital and St. John Macomb Hospital, when appropriate or necessary, and our specialists are also proud to be on staff at Henry Ford and Beaumont hospitals.
