A: Discourage your kids from eating food that's sticky or gooey, which stays on and in between teeth for a long time, and food whose ingredients include simple sugars such as sucrose, glucose or corn syrup. Also, children should avoid junk foods that appear to have fruit in them but are actually high-sugar snacks. Among beverages, regular soda and sports drinks have between eight and 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce bottle and are highly acidic. Many contain caffeine, so they can become addictive.