As a parent, it often feels like I must behave like an NFL defensive lineman when it comes to protecting my children from the ill effects of excess sugar. “No, you cannot have any candy! No, you cannot have a Pepsi with your popcorn. No, you cannot have an extra cookie.” Avoiding sugar is more of a struggle for my seven year old who will continuously eat if you let her and who gravitates toward all the wrong foods. However, after years of witnessing some of the worst dentition as a result of exuberant amounts of sweets in the diet, I have become some-what of a vigilante regarding maintaining excellent dental health.
Proper dental care begins long before the first tooth erupts. It begins in the womb. Women are living, breathing incubators for their babies and are the sole sources of nutrients. So as they eat so shall the tiny beings within them. Therefore, if mothers are not depositing nutritious foods in their temples, then how do we expect their babies to acquire the needed essentials to build strong teeth?
During pregnancy, a woman’s diet should include adequate amounts of vitamin C and D, calcium, and phosphorous. As a reminder, milk is not the only source of calcium so being lactose intolerant is no excuse. Green, leafy vegetables contain calcium as well. In addition, women should not take certain medications like tetracycline as they can cause the developing teeth of the embryo to become discolored.
Once the first tooth appears, proper dental hygiene should begin such as cleaning the tooth with a washcloth. As more teeth surface, greater care is required. At about this same time, babies are eating a variety of different foods and this is where parents tend to make their first grave error: introducing juice. Unfortunately, most people see the “100% juice” labels and unsuspectingly believe that declaration qualifies it as a healthy alternative for their babies. On the contrary, these beverages may contain as much as 33 percent sugar. Children do not need juice, they need fruit. If juice is given, no more than 6 ounces is recommended per day.
In addition, fruit snacks are also dangerous misnomers because they too contain a lot of sugar and minimal amounts of fruit. Bacteria that live in the mouth use this sugar to grow and the level of acid that results from that can cause the enamel on the teeth to erode. Sugary drinks are the worst, because even after you brush, some of the sugar lodges in between the teeth. From my personal experience, there is nothing worse than seeing a 2-year-old with a mouth full of rotten teeth.
Children should brush their teeth twice daily for at least two minutes and once teeth are touching, flossing should be done as well. One dollop of toothpaste is all that is needed. Preventative dental care is just as important as preventative medicine. A child’s first visit is usually around the age of two to three and will eventually be twice yearly. These visits are important so that problems may be addressed as soon as possible. I often remind my pediatric patients that teeth were meant to last a lifetime if properly maintained. For some reason, in the African American community, there is an overwhelming prevalence of dentures, partials, and missing teeth either from extraction or decay.
So what can parents feed their children that will promote healthy teeth and gums? Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is the key to not only healthy teeth but a healthy body as well. Please make note of the fact I mentioned “fresh” foods. Any time food is placed in a bag, can or is frozen, some of the nutritional benefit has been destroyed. Furthermore, canned fruits often contain more sugar than its raw counterpart.
I have found that if you never introduce certain foods to children, they would never develop a taste for it. This was true for my children until I mistakingly let them stay with relatives who introduced cereals such as “Reese’s Puffs” and candy such as “Skittles.”Once those items enter the picture, it is an uphill battle after that!
In summary, save yourself from future dental expenses by protecting your children’s teeth. Get regularly scheduled dental visits. Make them brush their teeth ideally after every meal. Lastly, be cognizant about the amount of sugar in their diets. Our final smiles should be as pretty as the first!
Yours in Service,
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor
SLUCare Family Medicine
yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
