How Bad is Sugar for your Child's baby teeth?

Posted on 4/10/2023 by Fariba Mutschler

Within our mouths reside numerous colonies of bacteria, some harmful, some beneficial. When your child consumes sugary foods and beverages, the harmful bacteria that live in their mouth will react with the sugar and leave acid in their wake. This acid is the main culprit that will over time result in tooth decay. It will wear down the enamel, letting bacteria into the teeth where they will cause damage.

When this condition is left untreated, your child can experience painful symptoms such as tooth sensitivity and toothache. Over time, the milk teeth of your child may need to be extracted prematurely. Many people hold the view that the milk teeth of a child are not as important as they will naturally shed in a few years. However, when your child loses their milk teeth prematurely, this can cause further complications in the future. For example, the permanent teeth may fail to fully erupt, and this can compound into more problems such as misalignment and overcrowding.

How much sugar should my child have?

According to recommendations given by the government, the daily recommended sugar intake for kids varies with their age. For example, children aged 4-6 should not exceed 19g in a day while children aged 7-10 should not ingest more than 25g in a single day. From a dentist's point of view, what we are most keen on is how frequently your child ingests sugar.

Every time your child ingests something sugary, the action of the bacteria begins immediately. The salivary glands will release saliva that neutralizes the resulting acids, but this process takes about half an hour or even more. It is therefore vital that you take charge as a parent and restrict the frequency at which your child eats sugary foods. We would advise that you let them eat their treat in one sitting, rather than many nibbles scattered throughout the day. For more advice on pediatric dental care, reach out to us.

My daughter was a little nervous to have her dental work done but everyone in the office was super friendly and very reassuring and that helped her nervousness go away. Thanks for the excellent dental experience. ~ Lilyana G.

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Our Dental Blog | Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry - Portland, OR
Dr. Fariba Mutschler & Dr. Mark Mutschler have created this informative blog to help educate the community. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please use the share it button to post to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
Great Grins for KIDS Portland, 13908 SE Stark Street, Ste C, Portland, OR 97233-2161 • (971) 470-0054 • portlandchildrensdentist.com • 10/3/2024 • Key Phrases: pediatric dentist Portland •