Ideally parents should try and combine acidic drinks with meal times and give the child a straw to drink soft drinks through. Parents should also supervise teeth brushing to ensure it is thorough and use a toothpaste which contains fluoride. They should also wait at least 30 minutes after drinking sugary or acidic drinks to brush because the teeth will have been softened by the sugar and you will brush away the tooth itself.
Dr Gordon Watkins, a member of the British Dental Association's health and science committee, acknowleged how difficult it is for parents as fruit juices are generally acidic and contain a lot of sugar. He suggeests that milk and water are, by far, the best drinks for your children. Surprisingly, for some perhaps, he said dried fruit was also bad for teeth.
"So many parents buy these healthy snacks of dried fruit but drying it concentrates the sugar so much it's almost like giving your child a jelly bean. Like everything, it must be eaten in moderation and it's better to eat it as part of a meal rather than as a snack."
Recent research by YouGov found that 34% of the UK's 10 and a half million children aged 4-17 drink at least two or three glasses of squash or cordial a day in winter. This could increase to an average of eight or nine glasses a day during the summer months. Of the parents interviewed for the survey, over a quarter said their children drink absolutely no milk in their daily consumption of 10 beverages a day.
Milk in the diet helps the formation of strong teeth and bones and guards against osteoporosis. One glass contains a child's entire calcium requirements for a day.
August 2007
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