Dental Health and Sugary Food

Valentine’s Day is this Thursday! It’s a fun day for kids to exchange cards and indulge in sugary snacks and treats. However, those decadent treats are one of the causes of dental decay, which can have a lasting impact on your child’s overall growth and development.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay, also called carries or cavities, is one of the most common preventable childhood diseases. It is five times more common than asthma and 28% of all children between the ages of 2 years and 5 years have dental decay in their baby teeth!

Tooth decay starts at the surface of our teeth, which is protected by a coating called enamel. Bacteria called mutans streptococci produce plaque - a soft layer on the outside of the tooth that provides a home for bacterial colonies to grow. When we eat sugary food, the bacteria convert the sugar into acid that breaks down the protective enamel on our teeth. If left untreated, decay can spread to inner core of the tooth and affect the blood supply, leading to pain and infection.

In young children, who do not have their adult teeth yet, cavities are a serious problem. Baby teeth are place holders for permanent teeth. If baby teeth have cavities, adult teeth might not grow in properly. This can cause life-long health problems. Tooth decay starts as soon as the baby incisors erupt – usually at around 6 months of age.

Cavities can lead to persistent pain and speech problems. Healthy teeth are essential for chewing food properly. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but chewing food properly is important for optimizing our body’s ability to absorb nutrients from what we eat. The inability to chew food can lead to weight loss and undernourishment. 

Limiting sugary foods, which includes some fruit juices and breakfast cereals, is important for preventing cavities. When it comes to sugary food, remember how often is more important than how much. Basically, this means what causes cavities is how often you eat sugary foods – not how much you eat in one serving. 

This Valentine’s Day, promote dental health. Practice good oral hygiene and limit your sugary food intake to once a day. The healthier our teeth are the more we can enjoy those tasty Valentine's Day treats! 

References:

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Early Childhood Oral Health (2010).

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/hca/hca-fluoride-varnish.pdf

American Academy of Pediatrics. Caring for Our Children, 2nd Edition (2002).

Center for Disease Control (2009) Oral Health. www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/index.htm

Connecticut Department of Public Health. (2008) Childhood Oral Health. www.dph.state.ct.us.

Payne, S. (2006) Let’s Talk Teeth. www.atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/LetsTalkTeeth.shtml

University of Connecticut (2008) Oral health Curriculum. http://oralhealth.uchc.edu