They taste good and get your child to take their vitamins, but are gummy vitamins actually good for your child? Turns out this phenomenon may be doing more harm than good to your child’s teeth.
Gummy Is No Good
Gummy vitamins are basically gummy candies that are fortified with extra vitamins. They taste great, but they’re chock-full of sugar. Sure it’s less sugar than a typical fruit snack, but it’s not negligible. Their chewy texture is also bad for teeth. The sugars coat your child’s teeth, and they stay on teeth for much longer than those found in normal chewable vitamins. This creates a breeding ground for cavity-causing bacteria.
Choosing a Children’s Vitamin
The first thing to consider is if your child even needs a vitamin supplement. It’s always best to get your vitamins from your diet, and the same goes for your child. If your child needs a vitamin, stick with a chewable that isn’t gummy if they aren’t able to swallow something whole. Not only are they better for teeth, but they’re also often more “complete” than their gummy counterparts. Make sure you choose an age-appropriate vitamin, too. Overdoses can happen, so check the label and don’t give more than the recommended dosage.
Children’s Vitamins & Tooth Health
No matter which vitamin you choose – a chewable or a pill – it’s important that you give them as directed. If you go with a chewable, giving your child their vitamin with a meal helps remove the sugars from their teeth faster because chewing food stimulates saliva production and washes the remnants of the vitamins off of their teeth. After taking the vitamin, make sure your child brushes their teeth, too, to get any remaining sugars off their teeth. This will help keep cavities at bay and keep your child’s smile healthy.
In the end, we think it’s best to steer clear of gummy vitamins not just because they contain sugar, but also because their texture leads to that sugar getting stuck to teeth and causing cavities. If you’d like recommendations on better vitamin alternatives, let us know at your child’s next appointment. Call today to schedule!
