The levels of tooth decay among toddlers and children in nursery are something we cannot ignore; one in eight three-year-olds suffer from visible tooth decay, which is entirely preventable.
Our 2014 survey showed that this decay ranged dramatically across the country, from 2 per cent to 34 per cent of three-year-olds having an average of three decayed teeth.
What some parents, carers and nursery practitioners often don’t realise, through no fault of their own, is that tooth decay is serious and can result in children having teeth removed in hospital under general anaesthetic. This is stressful for both the child and the parent.
Children with poor oral health, for example with holes in their teeth or missing teeth due to decay, may suffer from poor self-esteem and face bullying at school. Such children may develop serious dental problems and be anxious about dental treatment in later life.
When I was a practising dentist, it was not unusual that I had to remove all of a toddler’s baby teeth because they were rotten. So, how can we stop this happening?
Well, it is all about limiting how much and how often children consume sugary foods and drinks both at nursery and at home. Sugary drinks in particular have no place in a child’s daily diet. Low-fat milks and water are the best choices for healthy teeth, but swapping to sugar-free, diet and no added sugar alternatives will also help. Don’t add sugar to weaning foods or drinks and visit www.nhs.uk/change4life for advice on how to reduce sugar in children’s diet. In addition, it is important to support children to brush their teeth twice a day (brush last thing at night and on at least one other occasion), using fluoride toothpaste. Brushing your teeth alongside the child and checking their teeth can help enormously. Encourage toddlers to spit out after brushing and do not rinse, as this can wash away the fluoride.
It is also vital to advise parents to take their child to the dentist, which is free on the NHS, as soon as the first tooth appears, even if there aren’t any problems. This will familiarise children with visiting the dentist and help to start a lifetime habit of regular check ups. Parents can also get advice from the dental team.
COMBATING CARIES
‘Early childhood caries’ is an aggressive form of tooth decay that causes destruction to the upper front teeth and can spread rapidly. It is caused by long-term consumption of sugary drinks from the bottle or sipping cup, especially when these are given overnight or for long periods of the day. So, it is important to advise parents to give children water before bed and during the night to prevent this and to stop using a bottle as soon as possible.
They should aim to introduce drinking from a free-flow cup from six months and stop feeding from a bottle from 12 months of age.
