All parents know the importance of keeping sugar to a minimum in their children's diet. It's been drilled into peoples consciousness over the years by dentists and the health media. However, there are lots of things besides candy, soda, and sugary sweets that can damage your kids teeth. So, you will need to be on the lookout for them and if you notice a problem, you are going to have to ask your children's dental care specialist for advice on how to move forward.

Citrus Juices

Orange, grapefruit, and lemon juice (in strong homemade lemonade) are all very acidic. In fact, some people even try and remove stains using raw lemons (not a good idea, it shows the powerful acidic properties of the fruit). Drinking lots of citrus juice is often said to be healthy, there is lots of vitamin C in it after all. But the other part of the story is that the high acidity of the fruit juice can damage your child's tooth enamel. So, if you're kid complains about pain in their teeth after drinking juice, or they begin to have general sensitivity to hot and cold, and they consume lots of citrus juice, you need to get that checked out by a dentist. A dentist can prescribe a special toothpaste that helps rebuild the enamel, and will also instruct on proper brushing techniques. For instance, it might seem proper to brush your teeth immediately after drinking citrus, but that can actually damage the tooth even more (you're brushing in the acidic film). It's often better to rinse with plain water to help remove the acid from the mouth. Then, later you can use the special toothpaste.

Nail Biting or Chewing On Pens

Biting ones nails is a bad habit that can lead to infections, hang nails, and other problems having to do with your fingers. But another big problems is that biting your nails can cause minor chips to your teeth. The same goes with chewing on pens. Over time, these little cracks can lead to large cracks and your child might have to go to a dentist and get their tooth capped. So, before it gets to that stage, have their teeth examined and then help them to kick the habit of biting their nails or chewing on pens.

Grinding Their Teeth While They Sleep

A really insidious problem is nighttime teeth grinding. Your child might not even know they are doing it, but if they are, they are causing real damage to their teeth. The constant grinding will wear away the surface of the tooth and result in the expose of the dentin, and eventually the nerve. This will result in the need to cap the tooth. So, this is why it's important to make regular visits to your children's dental care specialist. They will inspect your child's teeth and, if there is evidence of grinding, they will show you how to use a nighttime mouth-guard. These plastic guards protect the teeth from damage.

Check out sites like http://www.childrensdent.com for more information.