3 Tips to Help Keep Your Child's Smile Safe

The Western World is currently facing a childhood obesity epidemic that has threatened adolescent populations with a myriad of health issues including increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and type II diabetes. Public health authorities and community stakeholders have pushed back hard against advertising companies who had previously targeted children with sugar-loaded snacks draped in the names and faces of their favourite cartoon characters. This movement targeted sugary foods as the culprit for rising levels of childhood obesity, but this sweet substance has also been fingered as the leading antagonist for failing oral health among adolescents. Over 26,000 primary school children were admitted to the hospital for tooth decay in the past year, suggesting that parents could use a few tips to reduce their child's exposure to sugar. Read on for 3 simple tips to improve your child's oral health care outcomes.  

• Make brushing fun. When faced with the choice between allowing their child to eat a more sugary food option, such as fruit, or having their child refuse to eat, most parents will concede to their child's wishes. There is nothing wrong with this, especially since fruits have a variety of oral health-boosting properties, but even natural sugars must be brushed away. Find a fun song for your child to brush along to, and join them in their morning and evening routine to make it fun.

• Limit sugary foods to meal-times. Try to choose low-sugar snacks for your child. Some classic favourites include nuts, carrots or celery and dip, or a spoonful of peanut or almond butter. If your child must have a sugary snack, try to fit it into regular mealtime so that their teeth are not exposed to sugars throughout the day when brushing and rinsing is not likely. 

• Educate yourself on nutrition. Most parents aren't aware of the amount of sugar contained in a glass of fruit juice, or that even fat-free yogurt is brimming with added sweeteners. Always read the labels on foods and try to cut out excess sugar where possible. Your child is depending entirely on you to provide them with adequate nutrition.