It is widely known that sodas are one of the leading causes of tooth decay in children (and adults). However, sodas are not the only sweet drink that can exacerbate tooth decay. Drink including fruit juices, cordials, sports drinks, sweet coffee/tea, and flavoured milks can cause tooth decay; even having acidic fruits like lemon in your water can cause your teeth to be stripped of its enamel.
Sweet drinks are even more harmful when sipped on throughout the day, as it causes sugar to constantly be in your mouth and on your teeth. Also when drinking sweet drinks or bottled water, you miss out on the added benefit of fluoride that is in the NSW tap water.
For adults, stopping sweet drinks can be as simple as having a strong mindset; however, with children it’s a little bit harder. Here are some tips to help!
- Only give sweet drinks at meal times, allocating certain times of the day so that your children are not constantly sipping on sweet drinks.
- Use an extra small cup and fill it with lots of ice, this common ‘trick’ used by many restaurants can help reduce the amount of sugar by diluting it. You can also dilute juice and cordial with extra water!
- Make water more interesting, use fun shaped ice cubes, coloured and spiral straws, decorate the rim of the cups with mini umbrellas, and use fun cups such as those you can decorate and colour in. However, only reserve these fun activities for water, never use them for sweet drinks.
- Always have jugs of water available at meal and play times.
- Bring a bottle of tap water when leaving the house to prevent having to buy sweet drinks later.
- Lead by example! Don’t drink sweet drinks if your children are not.
These small tips can help reduce and eliminate sweet drinks in your household, leading to stronger oral hygiene for every member of the family!
If you have any dental concerns regarding you or your children, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly dentists at Drummoyne Dental Practice by calling 91812226 or emailing us at drummoynedentalpractice@gmail.com