Medication caries: another form of "snacking".

The use of fluoride, frequent brushing and flossing, regular dental examinations, and limiting the ingestion of sweet snacks between meals are of primary importance in preventing dental caries. Because many commonly used medications have high concentrations of sucrose, the child with a chronic illness who needs medication on a long-term basis is at higher risk both for caries formation and for compliations of tooth decay. To minimize this risk most medication should be considered equivalent to a sweet snack for the purpose of dental hygiene. Sucrose in medication should be replaced by less cariogenic sweeteners, and sucrose-containing medications should be given with meals if this is possible.