Children’s oral health has been hitting the headlines a lot lately – with an alarming number of stories about tots with terrible tooth decay due to poor care and a nation of kids hooked on sugar. These daily news reports make for alarming reading – the UK consumes far too much sugar and perhaps, as parents, we should be setting an example to the next generation. In a nutshell, the latest reports include the following facts:
- Tooth decay is the most common reason why children aged five to nine years old go into hospital
- 2013-2014 saw almost 26,000 children admitted to hospital for tooth extractions
- Some 30% of children in England did not visit a dentist between 2012 and 2014
- Although health guidelines suggest 10% of a person’s daily energy or calorie intake should be made up of sugar, the Department of Health fears children aged four to 10 years old could be consuming far more than this
- Kids aged 4-10, get:
17% of their daily sugar from soft drinks
17% from biscuits, buns, cakes, pastries and fruit pies
14% from confectionery
13% from fruit juice
8% from breakfast cereals
Scary statistics, aren’t they?
Secret sugars
We all know that eating too much sugar causes tooth decay, but we also need to be aware of the sugars hidden in our everyday food. The government’s health campaign, Change4Life, launched a lovely new idea this month to encourage us all to cut down on our sugar intake. It shares ‘sugar swap’ tips with parents so they can substitute high sugar meals with low sugar options – swapping sugary cereal with plain cereal, ice cream with low-fat yoghurt and so on.
Good habits
But, as parents, what can we be doing to lower the risks for our little ones? Firstly, we need to get them into good habits as soon as possible, supervising tooth brushing until about the age of seven With time, your guidance and lots of encouragement, they should be able to brush properly by then. Also, it may be a good idea to take them to a dental practice as soon as they are old enough to sit in a chair. It’s important that toddlers are familiar with the look, smell and sounds of a dental surgery early on so that when it comes to one of us looking inside their mouths, they’re comfortable with that.
As a mum, I really understand the importance of helping children become familiar with a new environment, and that’s why I offer appointments for children as young as three, and encourage all children to visit regularly from the age of five onwards. Young patients are given an oral health passport to collect stickers and stamps and measure their success. Stickers can be brilliant incentives when you’re a toddler!
I also provide fissure sealants and fluoride treatments when it will be beneficial to the child’s teeth and these protect vulnerable teeth against decay. At each appointment, I perform a plaque disclosing check and a polish, too. If treatment is necessary, I make sure it is a positive and even fun experience that doesn’t cause pain or stress to the child. If you wish to chat about your child’s needs, set up a familiarisation visit to the surgery, or even just find out a bit more about how I can help, please do get in touch!
Sugar hits – and misses
Highest contributors to added sugar in the diet of 4-10 year olds are:
- 30% from drinks (including 16% from soft drinks)
- 29% from cereal and cereal products (mainly from biscuits, cakes and breakfast cereals)
- 22% from sugar, preserves and confectionery
- 12% from milk and milk products
• For more information on Sugar Swaps, visit https://sugarswaps.change4life.co.uk
