Tooth decay: Don’t give sweet things to children before bedtime —Experts

IN making snacking choices for children, every parent faces the dilemma; a healthy or sweet diet. It is more difficult when the child starts to cry or ask for sweets or chocolates before bedtime. Chocolate and candies are surely sweet but they may not be best friends to children’s teeth. Snacking particularly before bedtime contributes to the formation of tooth decay.

Although the temptation to give is high, snacking after brushing at night or children waking up in the middle of the night for a warm cup of chocolate needs to be discouraged because it lays the foundation for holes forming in their teeth.

Sugars are the food of the bacteria inside the child’s mouth. Bacteria are always present in the child’s mouth, which means that every child is at risk of tooth decay. When bacteria overstay in the child’s mouth, they will become plaque. It is a thin film of bacteria that stays in the teeth above and below the gum line.

Failure to remove plaque from the child’s teeth can lead to buildup and hardening into tartar. The bacteria from the plaque and tartar use sugary foods to develop acids. These acids destroy the enamel and cause tooth decay, and gum disease over time. Tooth decay can also affect the inner layer of the child’s teeth called dentin. The deeper the decay goes, the worse the damage.

“The bacteria that cause cavities or tooth decay are more active when the mouth is closed. So imagine a child taking a snack just before going to bed and the mouth is closed for hours. So we advocate that children take absolutely nothing but water after brushing at night,” said DrOmobolaOlanloye, a pediatric dentistry consultant at the University College Hospital, (UCH), Ibadan.

She stated that toddlers are exposed to having holes in their teeth when infants sleep with a bottle of formula or the nursing mother, leaving her breasts in the child’s mouth, all through the night.  Some leave the bottle in their mouth for as long as possible, allowing them to carry it all over the place.

“So, a mother leaving her breasts in the child’s mouth all through the night has the same effect as when the bottle is left in the mouth for a long time. The teeth will be bathing in sugar all through the night and if that is a frequent occurrence, the child will develop early childhood caries. That is why we discourage the use of bottle feeding.  We advocate that they use cups and spoons to feed rather than introduce bottles. “

DrOlanloye said that many mothers are unaware that sugary substances are the major factor responsible for holes in the tooth, and it is a misconception that breast milk cannot cause tooth decay even in toddlers.

“That breast milk cannot cause holes in the teeth, what is known as early childhood cavities, has been investigated and proven to be wrong. Breast milk can cause caries,” she declared.

She stated that tooth decay is a major public health concern as dentists are beginning to see a lot of children with caries at an alarmingly early age.

“A child is expected to bring out the baby teeth at about 6 months. So if a child of nine months or even 12 months already has 4 bad teeth, you can imagine what the future would look like for such a child if nothing is done to stop the progression of the condition at that stage. That is why I said that it is a major public health concern now.”

Moreover, she said the idea of parents leaving children to snack all throughout the day to keep them busy for whatever reasons or as midday meals need to be discouraged too.

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“The many drinks parents pack in school bags for children are just water and sugar.  And our children are not going to brush after taking these things in school, so it’s better to just pack proper food for your child and give the child water.

“Then mothers have this habit of giving things like candies, lollipops and biscuits when a child is troublesome, to keep them active, put on the TV and then the child is there sucking on a lollipop for an hour or two and watching TV rather than vegetables and fruits like carrots, which in the process of eating and chewing also has a cleansing effect.”

DrOlanloye said children should also eat food substances that are rich in fluoride like fish and milk as well as mothers ensuring that their children’s teeth are washed in the morning and last thing before going to bed to avoid early childhood caries.

“As soon as a child brings out a tooth, the tooth does not have to be fully erupted in the mouth for the mother to start brushing with fluoridated toothpaste on the brush. There are finger brushes that they can use.

“Brushing a child’s teeth with foam, cotton wool, towel or clean fabric does absolutely nothing. If brushing is going to be properly done, it should be done with a soft bristle toothbrush for children less than two years.”

Parents or guardians are responsible for helping a child have a good and healthy set of adult teeth. Making all of these become part of a child’s habits that he will carry throughout his life for him to reap the many advantages of good dental health is therefore important.