It has recently been in the news that more than 1,200
toddlers were hospitalised last year as a result of rotten teeth. You may wonder
how children under two could be faced with such a problem at such a young age;
dentists believe that more and more young children are suffering from teeth
problems as they are given sugary fruit juices in their bottles at a very young
age.
This is increasingly common amongst well-meaning parents who
feel that they are giving their toddler something healthy to drink. The reality
is very different as even natural fruit juices contain a large amount of sugar.
Whilst unsweetened fruit juice does count for one of the recommended 5 a day
portions of fruit and vegetables, when fruit is crushed to make juice, this
releases sugars that have a far more negative effect on the teeth than when
eating fruit whole.
Experts say that a single glass of apple juice can contain
around the same amount of sugar as a can of cola. Fruit smoothies can have a
particularly bad effect, as they are highly concentrated, containing around the
same amount of sugar as pure fruit juice and sticking to children’s teeth. Some
children are allowed to sip on a bottle of fruit juice throughout the night
which can massively increase the risk of tooth decay –this is thought to be one
of the most common reasons for children below 2 needing to have teeth removed.
New figures from the Health and Social Information Centre
state that of 1,235 children of below the age of 2, 134 of these children
needing treatment had only just got their milk teeth and were under age 1.
These numbers are quickly increasing as more and more young children have
sugary diets and rather than sticking to 3 meals a day, some children are more
likely to eat around 7 smaller, snack meals on a daily basis.
The truth is that tooth decay in toddlers is largely avoidable:
- First of all, parents should limit the amount of sugary fruit juice drinks that their children drink, most importantly, they should not be allowed to drink fruit juice over night, when the sugar and acid content of the juice has more time to damage the teeth
- Parents should try to limit their children to only drinking fruit juice at meal times, when they can clean their teeth afterwards
- Another key reason that increasing numbers of young children are suffering from tooth decay is that they visit the dentist much less frequently than in the past. This could be attributed to reforms in 2006 that made it more difficult and more costly for parents to access NHS dental treatment. However, it may also be that parents simply aren’t aware that children need regular dental treatment as soon as they have teeth in order to keep good oral health.
If you are a parent with young children and you are lookingfor a dentist in Solihull, you can visit Smile Spa Solihull. Call us now on
01564 772184 to book your child in for a check-up and help to prevent tooth
decay. Our dentists are always glad to give advice to ensure that both yours
and your child’s teeth remain in good health.
