They are at the top of the food pyramid but nevertheless they visit us more than they should… One in ten Spanish children drinks sweets daily. Sweets, goodies, are common in the diet of many children And this brings consequences. One of them: children need more dental treatments.
Specifically, drinking sweets daily increases the risk of needing dental treatments by 55%. The explanation is simple: the more candy they take, the greater the risk of tooth decay, that the teeth are damaged (that is one of the risks, although there are others) and there is probably a need to go more than recommended to the dentist, to treat these effects Sometimes painful
They are data extracted from the VI "Annual study on oral habits in children" carried out by Vitaldent, in collaboration with the University of Murcia, and in which about 1,300 children from all over Spain between 6 and 12 years have participated.
On the contrary, if your child only drinks sweets from time to time, it is likely that he is not within 8% of those who have a tooth or ground tooth or 35% of those who need dental treatment.
Of the children who take sweets daily, 56% have had to undergo some dental treatment and 20% have some chopped dental piece; if they eat two or three times a week the number of dental treatments is 46.6%; Only 35.7% of children who eat very occasionally.
According to the study, which reflects how children take care of their teeth and what are their oral hygiene habits, 9.9% of Spanish children drink sweets every day, two or three times a week, 35.0% do so, once a week 23.1% and very occasionally or never 32% .
But, Where does the danger of "candy" lie? Excessive intake of this type of food, especially refined carbohydrates, is a factor that predisposes to tooth decay, so it is necessary to control the amount that children take. Therefore, it is important to maintain proper oral hygiene after consuming them.
Recall that processed and refined sugars are found in regular goodies, carbonated (non-dietary) beverages, such as soft drinks, syrups and table sugar. Simple or refined sugars provide calories, but they lack vitamins, minerals and fiber, and may favor weight gain.
It is especially from the age of six when children need dental treatments, but let's think that cavities do not go out overnight and that healthy habits take them from childhood.
Definitely, If you want to save yourself some scare or hasty visit to the dentist, you can contribute to it by controlling the amount of candy your child eats since in excess they favor caries or obesity. And maintain good oral hygiene after each meal and especially after treats: if possible, take them at home after eating, to brush your teeth after eating.
