Saturday 21st September 2019 • Promotional Content
New families & family healthcare Te Modern Family 39 Tooth care to last a lifetime Children’s teeth decay because of too much sugar, too little fluoride and too few visits to the dentist
Minimise sugar intake Parents can easily make a difference to their child’s tooth health — just by knowing about sugar intake and tooth care, says Kent-based specialist dentist Greg Finn. Unfortunately, UK chil- dren are suffering from an epidemic of preventable disease. Last year, 26,000 children aged from
five to nine were admitted to hospital for extractions, with tooth decay, the single most common reason a child has a general anaesthetic in the UK. After more than 30 years in dentistry,
Greg, who trained many of the coun- try’s top dentists, knows that effective preventive dentistry starting in child- hood sets you up for life.
Knowing how to prevent tooth decay
can avoid sleepless nights with painful teeth, gappy smiles, lost days of educa- tion and parents’ days off work. Poor oral health really can be the route to many other health problems, so a good routine established early in life is vital.
Sugar should only be a small part of the diet, less than 5% Te most dangerous sugars or ‘free sugars’ are those already in honey, syrup or fruit juice, plus any sugars added to food or drink. Added sugar includes sugar added at home as well as sugar that’s been added by chefs or food manufacturers. Some people are surprised that honey,
unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies contain free sugars. I’ve met people who substitute honey for sugar in their coffee in the mistaken belief their teeth won’t decay because it’s ‘natural’. Free sugar isn’t the sugar found natu-
rally in milk, whole fruit and vegetables. Your daily sugar intake would be
best fulfilled with these sugars rather than consuming the more dangerous free sugars. For example, a bowl of cereal in the
morning, a small packet of sweets after school, a couple of chocolate biscuits to take the edge off before dinner and a chocolate dessert all add up to 14 cubes of sugar — more than double the recom- mended amount for children and adults alike. Te sugar guideline for maximum
daily intake for those aged between four to six is 19g or five cubes rising to 30g or seven cubes by age 11 and beyond. To help you make sense of this, you can use the Change4Life app, which scans food barcodes. For example, a 330ml can of Coke has 8.8 cubes of sugar, more that your total daily allowance on its own.
How to help good tooth health Give your baby milk — breast is best but formula is fine. Only ever put water or milk in a baby bottle and get rid of the bottle by their first birthday. Always ask for sugar-free medi-
cations. Treats are best eaten all at once rather than little and often, and certainly don’t have anything sweet before bed. When my own children were young, Sunday was sweet day, when they ate plenty all at once.
Use fluoride Everyone should brush their teeth twice a day — especially before bed with a thin smear of fluoride toothpaste.
Visiting the dentist 40% of UK children haven’t seen a dentist in the past year. It’s essential that you take your children along at least annu- ally from the time the first teeth erupt. If you fear the dentist, ask someone
else to take them to avoid transferring your fear and anxiety. Don’t keep a cupboard full of treats — you’ll only eat them!
FINN DENTAL SPECIALISTS
Greg Finn, Specialist Prosthodontist Finn Dental Specialists Kelsey Lane, Beckenham Kent BR3 3NE
finndentalspecialists.com
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