My son is three and a half years old and like most kids, loves to ask for candy, cookies and gum.
This is a nightmare for any parent, but especially a dentist.
We do deploy M&M’s as reward for potty training, but he seems to be on a constant quest for where else he can get some sugar.
The most recent instance was when he started asking for gum, and in this case I had a great solution.
Low sugar gum actually decreases tooth decay, cleans teeth, and has other health benefits.
Have you heard of Xylitol? Major company products like Orbit or Trident use it in their gum, although these and many of the other mainstream brands also include artificial sweeteners and ingredients.
Doing some research, I’ve found there are companies that make all-natural Xylitol gum with no artificial ingredients and 100% Xylitol as a sweetener.
(One you might check out is Powerbite. There are others – I will test some and update this.)
I have been offering it to my son Paolo and he loves it as much as any dessert. It feels so great to give him something is healthy and considered a ‘treat’.
