Drinks other than milk and water should not be given in feeding bottles and should be confined to main meals. Children should be introduced to a cup at about 6 months of age and should have ceased using bottles by about 1 year. Weaning foods should be free of or very low in sugars other than those present in fresh milk and raw fruits or vegetables. For older children and adults, snack foods and drinks especially should be free of sugars. Because of the risk of erosion as well as of caries, frequent consumption of carbonated and cola type drinks should be discouraged.
Fruit juices can also cause tooth erosion.
Water and milk are the preferred options for children. Saliva buffers may counter plaque acids, and thus chewing sugar-free gum or cheese after meals may be of value. Fresh fruit and vegetables can also confer some protection against oral cancer. However, smoking or chewing tobacco and some other habits may contribute to periodontal disease and oral malignancy, and some chewed products containing sugars may predispose to caries. Fluorides Fluorides protect against caries by inhibiting mineral loss, promoting remineralisation of decalcified enamel, and reducing formation of plaque acids.