More Halloween Dental Horrors

It is thought by many dentists in London that childhood tooth decay is a good indicator of oral disease and problems in later life, which is why the Halloween season has raised concerns to many dentists throughout America as we reported yesterday.

Similar concerns have also been voiced by dentists in the UK who are informing parents it is important for them to take responsibility to ensure their children don’t go crazy on the sweets this coming Sunday. With strong links between childhood tooth decay and serious dental health problems in later life it is in your best interest to teach your children about good oral hygiene practices so they can ensure their teeth stay healthy. Poor dental hygiene as a child could lead to serious problems in later life that may require a course of expensive cosmetic dentistry to cure.

Prevention is always a better course of action that dealing with the problem when it occurs so what better time to remind your children of how important it is to look after their teeth. Of course, you won’t want to spoil your child’s Halloween fun by outlawing sweets completely, but an all day binge on sugary treats isn’t going to do their teeth any good so dental experts have offered the following advice.

Dentists are urging parents to remember it is the frequency with which sugary food is consumed that promotes decay rather than the amount, so you may be better off letting your children eat a quantity of their trick or treat haul in one go rather than limiting it to small portions throughout the day. When we eat sweets the acidity in the mouth is raised and it can take up to an hour for the pH level to be regulated by saliva. It’s the raised level of acidity that is one of the leading causes of tooth decay, so if your child is constantly snacking on sweets all day then their mouth won’t have a chance to return to a neutral pH level. So, it is how often the sweets are consumed rather than how many that is the real problem.

It may then be a better idea to let your child eat a significant portion of their Halloween haul in one go, they’ll probably end up feeling sick and giving the rest of it a miss if you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky then you’ll have to deal with some seriously hyperactive children.

Posted in: Dental Health, News
Tags: London, tooth decay, Tooth decay London
| October 27, 2010 at 12:28 pm | No comment

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