Why Are So Many Children Suffering From Dental Decay?

Helping your children maintain strong and healthy teeth.

There is no getting away from the fact that our children’s oral health is in danger. Reports have indicated that in a single day, 160 children will be admitted to hospital to have teeth extracted (1).  Irrespective of any strain that this may put on hospitals, it is absolutely unnecessary for so many children to have to suffer in this manner.

At Alexandra Dental Care, we offer a family dental service for patients in the Burton area, for adults and children alike, and try to offer help and advice to prevent your child from suffering in this way.

Prevention

Healthy teeth for your children starts with preventative care. Parents have an important role to play here and should take responsibility for their child’s teeth from an early age. Diet plays a huge part and children should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet rather than one high in sugars. As most parents will acknowledge, this is easier said than done and children do seem to be drawn towards sugary foods and drinks. Our advice would be for these to be given as a treat only and not to form an everyday part of their diet.

Left to their own devices, most children will, at best, give their teeth a cursory brush in the morning and before bedtime. Parental supervision here is important and a child should brush for two minutes in a gentle circular motion. Do not allow the child any food or drink, other than water, once they have brushed their teeth at bedtime.

Drinks

One of the main causes attributed to the increase in tooth decay in children is the rise in drinks that are high in sugar. These are often sipped over a long period of time, introducing a prolonged flow of sugar for bacteria in the mouth which then produce acid waste products. For hydration purposes, a child should be encouraged to drink water wherever possible and limit the quantity of sugary drinks, including natural fruit juices. We also recommend that you encourage your younger children to drink through a straw to minimise the contact of the liquid with the teeth.

Dental visits

To support these preventative dental measures, we also encourage our Burton patients to bring their children to see us on a regular basis. Both dental check ups and hygienist visits means that your child has every chance of growing up with strong and healthy teeth; surely an objective we think most parent’s will support.

To make an appointment for yourself, or your children, at Alexandra Dental Care, please call us on 01283 216347.

1.    http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2017/01/11/160-extractions-childrens-teeth/

Google+