Chocolates, gummy sweets, sweetened coal: the Befana stocking, with all its sweet contents, will not be missing among the surprises of many children on the morning of the Epiphany. “You can ignore the abuse of sweets on a special occasion like this, but the habitual consumption of sugary foods is a threat to the health of your teeth, even milk teeth. Even though your teeth are destined to fall out, of the little ones can be affected by tooth decay”, is explained on 'Doctor, but is it true that…?', the anti-hoax website of the Federation of Medical Associations.
More than 20% of children around the age of 4 suffer from it and 43% of older ones. Tooth decay in children is not easy to recognise, but with the help of the pediatrician and dentist and following correct oral hygiene it can be prevented and treated, experts remind us. Unlike what happens to adults, in fact, it does not look like a hole and is not dark in color.
In baby teeth, “you will initially notice a small white spot. It means that the enamel is affected and is starting to demineralize, that is, the structure of the tooth is weakening. The spot can then darken, becoming more opaque and yellowish or brown in color. At this stage the child does not feel pain, but dentine sensitivity may increase, feeling discomfort when drinking or eating something hot or cold. The next step is a small hole in the enamel. In this case the cavity affects the dental pulp and the little one will feel pain.”
We talk about “baby bottle tooth decay” when children under 3 years of age are affected. In fact, lesions on baby teeth can begin as early as 12-18 months. 8.2% of Italian children under 5 years old suffer from early tooth decay. Be careful “adding honey or sugar to the pacifier or mixing them with milk or chamomile in the bottle to encourage children who have no appetite or to help them sleep. These are habits to avoid”, is the recommendation addressed to mothers.
Experts point out that “a diet that includes excessive amounts of sugar on a daily basis is among the main causes of tooth decay, especially if combined with poor oral hygiene”. Also contributing to damaging the teeth are “the bacterial flora, normally present in the oral cavity; the structure of the teeth themselves (due to congenital causes, such as weak enamel); low immune defenses; the scarcity of saliva, which also serves to eliminate residues of food; insufficient oral hygiene”.
In addition to taking care of hygiene from an early age, “the most important recommendation is to limit foods and drinks rich in simple sugars, such as snacks, packaged fruit juices, carbonated drinks, sweets, filled biscuits. Particularly insidious for the development of lesions are acidic foods, which damage the enamel, and sticky ones (gummy sweets, dried fruit), which are difficult to remove with washing. Therefore, it is fine to give a Christmas stocking full of goodies. Immediately after tasting, however, it is necessary to wash the teeth”.
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