Sugar,Fluoride And Teeth

     The June issue of Pediatrics has a detailed report from the United States Preventive Services Task Force about preventing dental cavities in children. It mentions the importance of fluoridation in drinking water and discusses the benefits of the fluoride treatments given by doctors and dentists. It also discusses problems that can occur with too much fluoride such as staining and pitting of the tooth enamel. It is important for parents to be aware of the different sources of fluoride that their children are exposed to (tooth paste, mouth wash, drops, tablets) and to discuss them with their child’s caregiver to be sure the child is receiving the proper amount of fluoride.

     The prevention guidelines listed in the report discuss the importance of avoiding excess sugar and specifically mentions inappropriate use of the bottle.

     Too often, toddlers carry around a bottle of juice or milk through the day and take a sip anytime they want to. This continuous exposure of their teeth to sugar is a common cause of severe dental cavities. Going to bed with a bottle of milk or juice is another cause.

     Up until an infant is one year old, he can have bottles of formula. After six months of age, he should be given milk in a sippi-cup at mealtime but still given a bottle of formula whenever he wants it. At this age, there is no need for (and certainly no benefit in) juice. When a child hits his first birthday, all bottles should magically become water and, after that time, parents should never put anything but water in bottles, daytime or nighttime. This eliminates the debate about when to stop using bottles because, as long as the only thing in the bottle is water, the child can have a bottle whenever he wants it for as long as he wants to use it (in fact, lots of adults suck from a water bottle with a nipple on it). Milk is always given in a cup, and only given at mealtime.

      A recent documentary film (“Fed Up”) and a book (“The Omnivore’s Dilemma”) both outline the problems our society has with our addiction to sugar. That addiction starts early in life with juice, snacks with sugar and processed foods. When infants begin eating solid foods, parents should give them fresh fruit and vegetables ground up to a proper consistency.  Juice is nothing more than water and sugar and when the package says, “100% fruit juice”, it doesn’t mean “100 fruit”, it means “100% fruit sugar”.  The same is true for the many kinds of processed “fruit snacks”. Fiber and other components of fresh fruit help our bodies digest and process the fruit sugar and, without them, the sugar easily turns into fat.

     When our kids are thirsty, we should give them water between meals and milk at meals. When our kids want a snack, we shouldn’t give them apple juice, we should give them an apple.