how common are cavities in toddlers

[newkid]

I have a 2.5yo and thought that twice daily brushing, no soft drinks, diluted fruit juice etc would do the trick re: cavities but someone I know has just taken their 3yo to the dentist and the child had two cavities! This child has a pretty good diet (no soft drinks etc) and has her teeth brushed well twice a day. I'm now really worried about my dd as I had loads of cavities as a child (soft teeth?). Anyone know how common cavities are in children or if there is such a thing as being prone to cavities no matter what precautions you take?

really? I don't think it's that common - our family have crap teeth but none of us had a filling before we were 7 or 8.

could it be an overzealous dentist or inadequate twice daily brushing?

It does happen sometimes despite good diet and brushing. I think that teeth can have vulnerable areas.

Not that common in a 3 year old I'd say. Dried fruit can be a culprit as it can get caught so even a "good" diet can have its flaws.

Sometimes it's just really bad luck. My sister in law is a dentist, and her five year old has got such bad teeth she's even had a tooth abcess.