HEALTHY FAMILY
Healthy DIET,
Healthy BY JENNIFER MARINO WALTERS
30 WashingtonFAMILY FEBRUARY 2021
F ebruary is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and this year’s
theme is “Water: Nature’s Drink.” We all know that drinking enough
water is important for our health, but how much does it really have to
do with teeth? A lot, it turns out.

“The diet is among the leading causes of tooth decay in children,” says Dr.

Srotalina Khanna, a dentist at Bethesda Family Smiles. “Sugary foods and drinks
can cause damage to the teeth that become decay and cavities.”
When these sugary items sit on the surface of teeth for extended periods of
time, bacteria develop around them. The bacteria eat away at the enamel and
create holes, or cavities, in the teeth. Cavities can cause pain and infections as
well as speech, eating and learning problems.

Unfortunately, cavities are among the most common chronic childhood
MEHMET HILMI BARCIN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
How the foods and
drinks your children
consume can affect
their oral health