Any sugary drink is bad for our teeth. By now that has been established to be fact, yet research shows that close to half of us consume at least one of these drinks per day. Coffee or tea with added sugar can be attributing factors for the adult population but what about the kids?
Soda is the biggest enemy of our children’s teeth. The sugar in soda pop stays on the teeth and gums well after the bottle is empty, giving it plenty of time to interact with the bacteria in the mouth and produce the acids that damage tooth enamel hence the saying,”sip all day, get decay.” Children are at an especially high risk since their tooth enamel is still developing and is more susceptible.
Manufacturers’ ads, peer pressure and the simple fact that soda tastes so good are all contributing factors to its popularity. Parents efforts to ban it entirely from their child’s diet will probably prove to be futile, but there is hope that it can be reduced significantly.
Moderation is key, obviously. Drinking even one can of soda a day can cause damage, but any more than that is definitely beyond the limit. There is also something to be said for drinking the soda through a straw. It keeps the sugar out of such direct contact with the teeth.
While soda is the worst thing in the world for your child’s teeth, water may be one of the best. If you can get your child to rinse his mouth with water after he drinks a soda he can wash away a lot of the sugary substance left behind and lessen the damage done.
The introduction of fluoride to our community drinking water systems has contributed greatly to the fight against tooth decay. Even some of the bottled water that is on the market today contains some amount of fluoride. Check the label to be sure.
“My children absolutely love going to the dentist.” That is a quote from just one of the patient reviews on Epic Dentistry for Kids in Aurora. Read more then call us @ 720-721-3600.
