Is there really such a thing as a Sweet Tooth? The short answer is no… and yes! Of course, there is no single tooth in your mouth that makes you want to eat that candy bar, so the term cannot be taken literally.

However, when someone is said to have a sweet tooth it means that he or she craves sweets! Those with a sweet tooth are at greater risk for obesity, not to mention cavities and gum disease. Here are a few tips that will help you help your child tame that sweet tooth once and for all.


First of all, it's important to understand that a certain desire for sweet things is completely natural and is hard-wired into us as human beings. Instinctually, we gravitate toward sweeter fruit for example because it contains the best concentration of nutrients. Nature notwithstanding, most of today's modern sweet tooth owners have been "trained" into excessive cravings during their childhoods. Counteract this tendency by:

--Breastfeeding your child as long as possible rather than giving him sugar-laden formulas

--Never giving your child fruit juices in a bottle or sippy cup between meals

--Never allowing your baby to go to sleep with a bottle of formula or juice

--Not using candy or cookies as a reward for good behavior

--Giving your child raw vegetables to nibble on as snacks

--Limiting desserts or a trip to the ice cream shop to just once a week

--Helping her to view sugary snacks as a treat rather than the norm

--Limiting even the amount of "good" foods that contain significant amounts of sugar in concentrated forms such as raisins or banana chips

Cutting out sweets altogether is an unrealistic goal in our society, and children who are excessively denied treats every now and again tend to binge when they get older.