He Royal College of Surgery from the United Kingdom warned a week ago that children's dental health was getting worse at times, and in the last decade they have seen how tooth extractions in children under 5 have increased by 24%.
One of the main causes is the feeding of the little ones, and within the diet, the drinks they consume. The data is devastating and worrisome: Only one in four drinks consumed by children aged 5 to 9 is water.
And two out of three are harmful
That means that children drink very little water, and it is worrying because when they don't drink water, what they drink is very cariogenic. As we read in DailyMail, data from a survey commissioned by the Natural Hydration Council, also in the United Kingdom, say that two out of every three drinks ingested by children are harmful to teeth.
Also, of all that English children get to drink, 30% are carbonated drinks, which can be harmful even when they do not carry sugar, because many have compounds such as phosphoric acid, citric acid and tartaric acid, which affect tooth enamel, favoring erosion.
Parents drink more and more water
Apparently, the tendency in adults is to drink more and more water, looking for a series of healthier habits as they become aware that the best drink to hydrate is water. However, in children, the trend is the opposite. For making sure that they eat something, that they are well nourished, many children take juices to school (they are unhealthy), snack with cocoa shakes and the like, and many have scary teeth.
The Dr. Emma Derbyshire, nutritionist and advisor to the Natural Hydration Council explains it this way:
The Department of Public Health in England recommends that adults and children exchange sugary drinks for healthier alternatives, such as water. It is also good for the normal functioning of the body, it is naturally free of sugar and therefore one of the best options for our children's teeth.
"Just drink water"
Because of my work as a nurse, I see many children every day, and many of them are obviously overweight. The usual thing is that it is because of an inadequate diet and a lack of play and outdoor exercise, so that to remedy, I make various indications to parents so that both children and they begin to make a change of habits (Because children often do just the same thing they see at home).
Well, the first advice I give you is this, because it is usually the easiest to follow: "Just drink water". To get there, nothing like stop buying what they do not want their children to drink: no juices, no shakes, no soda, no isotonic drinks (there are children drinking Aquarius and similar daily), no sugary teas (children who drink Nestea to eat), etc. Obviously, do not make juices at home. They are surely healthier than those we can buy in the supermarket, but they are equally rich in sugars (because of the sugar present in the fruits we use to make the juice) and they are consumed much faster than if we were talking about loose pieces of fruit (and consequently, they gain more weight).
So, both to avoid the risk of obesity and to safeguard the oral health of children, that above all drink water.
Photos | iStock
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