Proper dental care begins from an early age. Instilling the habits of tooth brushing, flossing, and regular visits is the task of the parents, but their work begins even earlier.
Today, the emphasis on processed foods has meant we are not always certain about what we are feeding our children. Some foods, which otherwise would not be considered to be sugary or acidic, actually contain some ingredients that can result in some considerable negatives on your child’s teeth. This includes such lunchbox regulars as granola bars, sports drinks, or even cough drops.
There are a number of potential reasons for the ubiquity of sugars in our foods today. Sugar has become very inexpensive, and as an additive, it has the ability to mask less-than-pleasant tastes or tartness in foods. It is also highly addictive. In any event, we are now seeing it in higher volumes than ever before.
The result has been a net negative for our children’s teeth. Formerly, a baby’s teeth were seldom found to have experienced decay. This has changed. Even in children as young as two, dentists are reporting more and more dental problems.
Family dentists, such as the experts at Ingle Family Dentists, can diagnose any potential problems in the teeth of your young ones, or your not-so-young-ones, alike. But the solution falls to the parent. Staying cognisant of the makeup of your child’s food means reading the labels. But this effort is a vital one, as a high-sugar diet in these formative years can result in more problems than merely oral ones – behavioural and obesity issues often tag along.