A Poor Diet Contributes to Childhood Tooth Decay
You already know that your diet contributes to your overall health, that eating too much sugar increases the risk of obesity and diabetes, but did you know that your oral health is tied to your overall health? Or, that a poor diet does contribute to tooth decay in children?
This is one of the reasons that it is so important you take your child to the dentist, ideally one that specializes in dentistry for kids.
A poor diet
Everyone, whether child or adult, should focus on eating a balanced diet. That means one that has a good level of essential nutrients and a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables and healthy fats. A good diet will help you to maintain your weight and boost your immune system, helping to ensure your quality of life as you age.
But, instilling these eating habits starts young, the younger your children are when they understand the importance of a balanced diet, the more likely they are to carry this through into adulthood.
It is easy not to worry about children as they need plenty of calories to help them grow and burn all the energy they seem to have all the time. But, while it is a good idea to make sure they get plenty of calcium for healthy bones and teeth, levels of sugar need to be carefully monitored.
Sugar feeds the bacteria already present in your child’s mouth. The byproduct of this interaction is acid. Unfortunately, this acid then attacks the enamel on your child’s teeth. Once the enamel has been weakened, bacteria will be able to get through into the softer dentin, damaging this as well.
At this point, your child will need fillings and, if it is allowed to continue, the bacteria can attack the root, effectively killing the tooth. This can lead to root canal surgery or even an extraction. That is not the gift you want to give your child just because you let them have excessive amounts of sugar.
Locating sugar
The problem is that sugar is everywhere. It is not just in sweets and cakes, anything processed will contain sugar. This is because it tastes better and encourages an addiction, ensuring you keep purchasing the product and making the manufacturer money.
The key to a healthy diet is not to limit what your child eats, but to avoid using processed foods. This will decrease the amount of sugar going into their bodies and reduce the risk of tooth decay, as well as obesity.
Oral health
As well as reducing the use of processed foods and high-sugar items, you should encourage your children to adopt an oral health routine. This means brushing twice a day, flossing once and regular dental appointments.
This will ensure any tooth decay issues are picked up and dealt with early. That is important for the preservation of your children’s teeth. After all, they only get one set to last them for life. It is your responsibility to ensure they know the benefits of oral hygiene and healthy eating.
Article written by Jesse Hughes
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.