Encouraging good habits could be of great help to your child when it comes to preventing oral health issues such as gum disease and tooth decay. Let us take a look at a few common causes and prevention of tooth decay in children.
Causes
1) Sweets – Do not let your little one have large amounts of sugar, especially before going to bed. Most children crave sweets and it is a fact that sweet can make their teeth vulnerable to plaque formation and decay.
2) Fizzy drinks – Fizzy drinks contain abundant amounts of sugar and preservatives that will increase the risk of teeth problems in children. In addition, they contain acids that may erode the teeth. So, never give fizzy drinks to children.
3) Unsweetened juices, smoothies and candies – These products are high in sugar that can increase tooth issues in children.
4) Bottles – Try to get your child off bottles by the age of one, as the spouts and teats of bottles may encourage your child to suck for longer duration. This means the drinks causing tooth decay remain in contact with baby’s teeth for longer duration, causing gum disease.
Prevention
Instead of sweets, you can feed your child with snacks that include fresh fruits and vegetables. Carrot, cucumber, bananas, tangerines, rice cakes, plain toast and popcorn are good snacks. Never give a dried fruit, as it is loaded with sugar that can be bad for your child’s teeth.
The best drink for a child over a year is plain water or milk. Whole (full-fat) milk is best for children between the age group of 12 months and two years, semi-skimmed milk for children above two years and skimmed milk for children above five years. Do not give any kind of fruit-flavoured baby juice; instead, give plain water.
Teeth are at risk of decay at night – the time when the mouth secretes less saliva. Drinking water is the best thing before bedtime. If you plan to give milk, make sure you do not add any milkshake or chocolate-flavoured powder.
Check with your doctor about sugar-free medicine, especially if your little one is taking long-term treatment.
It is better to consult your GP to know more about baby oral & throat care.
More info: pharmacyoutlet.co.uk
