Britain’s health conscious diets could be having a detrimental effect on oral hygiene. What is recognised to be good for your body could in fact be bad for your teeth, and the cause of serious problems.
The act of feeding children ‘healthy’ foods and drinks such as fruit and juices could be having a negative effect on their oral health. Citrus fruits and juices in particular have an adverse end result on dental health – the amounts of sugars and acid released by fruits are astounding. It is therefore wise to limit children to eating and drinking fruit and juice at
meal times, otherwise the acidity can begin to wear away the enamel of their teeth.
This becomes more of a problem when people are under the illusion that to rectify this, they must brush their teeth after every meal and every drink. Nothing could be more disastrous to oral health. After drinking a glass of fruit juice the acidity softens the enamel on the tooth. The softened enamel is then scraped away if teeth are brushed immediately afterwards. It is prudent therefore to wait an hour after eating before brushing teeth to ensure that the enamel has hardened sufficiently so as not to be affected.
Yet, there are many different factors that can cause dental erosion, particularly in children. From lifestyle choices made by the parents to any vitamins the child might be taking, there is a wealth of factors that can lead to dental erosion. It is the responsibility therefore of dentists to be aware of these and act accordingly.
The frequency of dental erosion may be growing. This has been seen in a study of 202 five-year old Irish school children, where the prevalence of dental erosion overall was 47 per cent, and in 21 per cent of cases erosion affected the dentine or pulp. This is partly due to the factors of modern life. We live increasingly frantic lifestyles and maintaining oral hygiene by eating and drinking the right things is becoming harder.
Children are more at risk from dental erosion than others. The 2013 UK Soft Drinks Report specifies that over 99 per cent of households consume soft drinks. The amount of acidic and sugary drinks that children consume is therefore concerning. Some parents are using fruit juices and fizzy drinks as pacifiers, often before a child goes to bed, and this is having a harmful effect on their teeth. In addition to this, parents are keen to ensure that a child has their five a day. This can trigger dental erosion problems as it increases the amount of acidity on the teeth throughout the day.
Early prevention and instilling good habits into children is the best defence against dental erosion and other oral health problems. Children with healthy milk teeth are less likely to have unhealthy permanent teeth when they erupt. This alongside the fact that poor oral hygiene is closely linked with other health problems, means it is crucial that children’s dental health is closely monitored and maintained. Therefore it is imperative that children not only stick to a balanced diet of foods and drinks, but that they also visit the dentist regularly for check ups.
Responsibility
It is the dentist’s responsibility to identify and acknowledge the early signs of dental erosion, and then manage and treat them accordingly. Bespoke advice should be given to each paediatric patient and his or her parents, highlighting the preventative measures that can be taken to avoid dental erosion. Adjunctive precautions such as fluoride gels, mouthwash, or simply drinking more milk are suitable for young people.
The importance of identifying dental erosion in children is now more important than ever, following growing concerns over the standard of oral health in the UK. Dentists must emphasise the importance of maintained oral hygiene, as it is imperative parents are aware of the effects of erosion on their family’s dental health.
Regular dental appointments are therefore crucial for children, especially in their early years. Parents, particularly those with busy professional lives, need simple and convenient methods to book regular dental visits; online booking services ensure that dental care and appointments are easily accessible to thousands of prospective patients.
It is time to make more patients conscious of the troubles dental erosion can cause and its increased prevalence among children. It is up to dentists to combat this efficiently, bring about a change and help improve the next generation’s oral health.