My daughter loves juice – do the words “no sugar added” or “100% juice” on the label mean that it is safe for my child’s teeth and diet?
NO!! Many well-known manufacturers label their juice labels with the words “No sugar added”, but what they do not tell you is that natural fruit sugar (fructose) is already naturally present in very high quantities. All fruit juice contains sugar – it just may not contain any other “added” high-fructose corn syrup. For example, grape juice (100% juice with no sugar added) contains as much as 60 grams of sugar per 12 oz. – that’s equivalent to 15 teaspoons of sugar! Cavities are formed when the bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar available in the foods we eat. The bacteria does not care what type of sugar (lactose in milk, fructose in juice) it is, just that it is present. The sugars in your food or drink cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel. With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms. Here at Pediatric Dentistry of Lewisburg, we recommend your child drinks milk or juice at mealtimes only. Throughout the rest
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