Tooth decay, a ‘real and fast-growing problem’ among children
February 17, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Filed under Parenting
You would not BELIEVE all the sugary crap my son got for Valentine’s Day. The first wave came days before Friday, when my in-laws brought my son a dozen mini cupcakes. He had four in the eight hours they were with him and begged for more after they left. Then there was the pre-K Valentine’s party, where my son was treated to a heaping plateful of cookies, cupcakes and candy in every color, shape and flavor. And don’t forget the Valentine’s goodies his friends brought and put in his heart-shaped Valentine holder. The minute he got home from that party, he ran next door to “Uncle Lou and Aunt Pat’s” house to help Aunt Pat decorate cupcakes and heart-shaped cookies. We let him have the heart brownie Aunt Pat made after he managed to eat three bites of vegetables at dinner. (He said he was “too full of healthy food and needed more junk food.”)
The next morning – Valentine’s Day – I gave him a small heart-shaped box of chocolates because when I bought the candy I thought he’d be thrilled to have chocolates. He has yet to open it – there’s just too much good stuff around. Later that day Truman and Daddy ran errands and returned to surprise me with a bouquet of flowers and a huge bag of assorted candies from the neighborhood candy shop, like Sweet Tart LEGOs, Red Hot hearts and my favorite, conversation hearts. They’re on my desk and I’m not sure who has raided the candy jar more – Truman or I.
So I guess I should not be surprised by the story I read Monday in the APP.com (some New Jersey pub) that tooth decay in baby teeth is a “real and fast-growing problem.” Apparently decay in baby teeth among 2- to 5-year-olds increased from 24 percent to 28 percent over a five-year period and now one in every five 3-year-olds suffers from tooth decay.
The story also points out that February is – ironically – National Children’s Dental Health Month.
Seriously, don’t read the story because it will give you nightmares of all the horrible things that can happen to your child if you are too lax with his dental hygiene. I’ll save you the creepies and give you some of the pointers here:
Diet: Limit those Valentine’s treats. That’s a no-brainer. I actually manage to toss a few handfuls in the trash each night until the candy is completely forgotten. This works wonders with that pile of Halloween candy, too. The story says sugar can hook up with bacteria and eat away the enamel on your teeth. Ew.
Hygiene: Make your child brush his teeth all the time – or at least twice daily. We’ve got that one down. If my son talked in your face first thing in the morning you’d make teeth-brushing a priority too.
Fluoride: As parents, we’re supposed to make sure our kids are being exposed to fluoride toothpaste. I didn’t realize they even made toothpaste without fluoride.
The story also says to get your child to the dentist by his first birthday, which sounds extreme to me. My son barely sits still at age 5. And since he was walking months before he turned 1, he was never in one place for very long. My dentist advised taking him when he was 3, which we did. And he’s been begging to go back ever since. Go figure!
(photo: flickr, sappymoosetree)
I know what you mean about the candy. When I was a kid, Valentines were simply valentines, and did not come with a goody bag of treats from every kid in the class. She came home from the Alabaster Christmas parade with a huge bag full of candy, much of which remains uneaten, plus the stuff she got at school. After that, Santa only brought her a small box of four Godiva truffles. I think there may even be some Halloween candy still hanging around in the big fruit bowl that’s been turned into a candy bowl. I’m going to take your lead and start surreptitiously throwing some of it out. We do limit her to no more than four small pieces each night for dessert (except on the actual holiday itself).