The other day a woman brought her seven year old daughter to me for a second opinion. She felt her dentist had been negligent because, despite brushing regularly and despite regular check-ups, the girl had two decayed teeth.
What this mother failed to appreciate (and, I fear, still fails to accept) is that it is neither inadequate brushing nor irregular dental visits that causes tooth decay. That honour goes to SUGAR and, especially in children, sugar is delivered most dangerously in sweet drinks, such as fizzy pop and squash.
The hard fact that no parent wants to acknowledge is that, in 99% plus of cases, the fault lies not with the dentist (who sees the child a couple of times a year) nor with the child (who cannot be expected to understand that something so pleasant can be harmful) – the fault lies with the person who lets the child have the drinks.
I am not advocating a complete ban on squash and pop, merely that the quantity be limited, the timing controlled (NEVER less than an hour before bed time) and that the sweet drink be followed by a thorough rinsing of the mouth with water – which can be swallowed afterwards.
That’s right, I said ‘rinse’ not ‘brush’. You should never brush immediately following an acidic drink such as cola. The acid softens the surface enamel of the teeth which is then easily brushed away. Rinse thoroughly with water to dilute the acid and wait an hour for the enamel to remineralise from saliva before brushing.
This is why a sugary drink should never be consumed less than an hour before bed time. It is vital to brush teeth thoroughly before going to bed because the body produces less saliva during sleep. As well as repairing minor damage to tooth enamel, saliva is the body’s first line of defence against the bacteria that cause dental disease.
In short: damaging tooth enamel, especially at a time when the body is ill equipped to kill the bacteria waiting to take advantage of that damage, is not a great idea. Blaming someone else might make you feel better but it’s not going to help your child.
For a fuller account of tooth decay an other tips about how to keep your mouth, and your children's mouths, healthy, see my book:
Watch Your Mouth - An Owner's Manual
