LOOK: What a high sugar diet can do to your children’s teeth

Does your child have a sweet tooth?

Having preference for sugary treats and sweetened drinks can compromise your child’s dental health.

Surprisingly, toddlers  as young as 18 months old are undergoing major dental operations to have their decayed teeth removed. Kids as young as seven are now being placed under general anesthesia to have their rotten teeth extracted.

“Diet is a very big problem, especially with parents who give their children dummies covered in honey, or bottles with sweetened drinks,” Dr. Sophie Beaumont of The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne revealed.

“A lot of parents do not consider that fruit juice, cordial, fizzy drinks, and even sugar-free drinks have a negative impact on teeth, especially without good oral hygiene,” she added.

According to Dr. Beaumont, children with most or all of their teeth extracted often experience eating problems and developmental delays because of its effect on speech and sleep. Social interactions are also affected when they have bad breath.

Moreover, when baby teeth are removed earlier, children can experience tooth crowding in the future as baby teeth maintain space for adult teeth.

Fighting Tooth Decay

A common condition where the surface of the tooth is damaged over time, tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the mouth.

These bacteria feed on sugars from the drinks and food you consume which then produces acid that can damage the enamel on the surface of the tooth. It can eventually lead to a cavity or a hole.

Using fluoride toothpaste, having regular dental checkups and limiting your sugar intake can reduce your risk for tooth decay.

To combat tooth decay, paediatric dentist Dr. Timothy Johnston recommends monitoring of child’s diet as well as regular brushing.

Meanwhile, Dr. Beaumont suggests checking the kid’s mouth for symptoms of tooth decay which often begin as small white spots on the tooth. Over time, this can become yellow or brown in color. Moreover, Dr. Beaumont recommends the use of a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small amount of toothpaste.