Fight the fizz!

Dental hygiene isn’t just about brushing your teeth. What you eat and drink also has a dramatic effect on the health of your teeth and gums.

Young children are particularly susceptible to diet-related dental problems. With ever increasing sales of fast food and fizzy drinks, dentists are facing an on-going battle to educate parents about the tooth-related dangers of junk food and sugary drinks and to encourage better standards of oral hygiene in young children and teenagers.

Companies that make so-called “healthy” fruit drinks have to take some responsibility. Clever marketing means that parents are lulled into a false sense of security that giving their children a drink with “fruit” in the name must surely be a healthy option. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth and these drinks often contain extremely high levels of sugar (levels comparative to many fizzy drinks) which can result in tooth decay, obesity and diabetes.

The consequences of consuming large volumes of sugary, fizzy drinks don’t just affect children. A 25-year-old man in Australia recently lost all of his teeth because of his fizzy drink addiction. The man in question drank 2 gallons of soda a day for 3 years which resulted in severe decay. The only course of action was to remove all his teeth and fit dentures which he will how have to live with for the rest of his life. A new study, published earlier this year in General Dentistry has stated that fizzy drinks may even cause the same amount of erosion as methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

Surprisingly, prescribed medications have also been found to be extremely detrimental to oral health.

Researchers in both Australia and Scandinavia have established that oral inhalers such as the kind that are often prescribed to asthma patients may be responsible for increasing the risk of developing cavities. It is essential that asthma sufferers are made aware of this potential problem and that they pay particular attention to oral hygiene and rinse their mouths after using an inhaler.

Some antibiotics can cause discolouration of teeth and even oral thrush. Antihistamines are also thought to negatively impact oral health. Hay fever sufferers often report having a dry mouth after taking antihistamines. This makes it more difficult to swallow which subsequently hinders the removal of food debris and bacteria from the mouth.

We can all do our bit to prevent dental decay. Choosing to drink water rather than sugary drinks, brushing twice a day and regular visits to your dentist will ensure that you and your children maintain a good level of oral hygiene. 

Higher Lane Dental Practice are here to help with any dental hygiene issue you may have. Call us today on 01925 752209 or fill out our online form to book a consultation or to make an appointment.

The Practice is located in the picturesque village of Lymm in Cheshire.