Consumption of fruit juice high in sugar is blamed for tooth decay in kids aged three years old.
Public Health England (PHE) has released details of England's first national survey, which involved oral health of children aged three years.
PHE reveals that about 12 percent of three-year old kids suffer from tooth decay and they have about three decayed teeth on an average. However, a majority of the children still do not suffer from tooth decay.
Many parents believe that fruit juices are good for their young kids; however, they are also packed with sugar, which can result in tooth decay in kids.
On Tuesday, Sept. 30, PHE released the findings of the survey, which blames parents who give sugary drinks and food such as fruit juices, for tooth decay in young children. PHE suggests that parents of three-year old children should reduce the amount of fruit juice they give to their children and should instead give only milk and water to avoid tooth decay.
The PHE survey examined over 50,000 three-year old kids across England and found the tooth decay was a problem throughout the nation. However, London, East Midlands, North West, London, Humberside and Yorkshire were the worst hit regions of England.
About 34 percent children in the age category in Leicester suffered from tooth decay, while only 2 percent of three-year old kids were affected with tooth decays in South Gloucestershire.
Dr. Sandra White, Director of Dental Public Health at PHE, suggests that it is an important issue which parents should address. Filling sipping cups and bottles with sugary drinks such as squash and fruit juice is one of the particular problems highlighted by PHE as the sweetened juice coats the front and the back of the teeth resulting in tooth decay. Once a tooth rots it can also affect other teeth.
"Tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed under general anaesthetic, which is stressful for children and parents alike," says Dr. White.
Dr. White also suggests that parents can stop tooth decay in their children by cutting down on the amount of sugary drinks they give to their children. Dr. White also highlighted that children should get in the habit of brushing their teeth twice daily and especially before going to bed.
