Why parents are to blame for their children’s cavities
Did you know that 42% of Australian children aged 5-10 have had at least one tooth with a cavity (or tooth decay)?
Even worse, 1 in 4 Australian children aged 5-10 have treated cavities (or tooth decay)!
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
A very common excuse we hear from parents when they are told their child has a cavity and needs a filling is,
‘But she really likes to eat chocolates and sweet foods’
This is usually followed by the child being chastised not to eat lollies and chocolates.
I am a parent to two young children, and while I in no way claim to be a perfect parent, if I have to put my dentist hat on too, this is what I would have to honestly say to these parents:
- You need to take responsibility for the effect your child’s diet has on their oral health.
- If you don’t buy lollies, chocolates or sweet foods, your child would not be able to eat them.
- There is no point chastising your child not to eat these foods if you allow them to eat them. You need to enforce that these foods should be a sometimes food. As they get older they can then hopefully make better dietary choices in the future.
- Please don’t ban sweet foods altogether. This can cause binge eating of sweet foods later in life.
- Please set a good example for your children. Your body and teeth will thank you for it.
- Brushing alone will not necessarily prevent tooth decay if your child is snacking on sweet foods several times a day.
- Please make sure your child brushes their teeth before bed and DOES NOT eat or drink anything afterwards unless it is water.
Another common excuse I hear is, ‘But they are just baby teeth, they don’t matter’.
This is a huge fallacy and completely WRONG. Baby teeth do matter, and they are integral to your child’s health and oral development. These first teeth help babies and young children chew, smile and talk. They help to develop a child’s abilities to eat and pronounce their first words. Most importantly, they also hold space in the dental arch for the eventual growth of the adult teeth.
If your child has tooth decay, please do not dismiss it, thinking that the teeth will just fall out later. You need to bear in mind that baby teeth fall out at different ages and the tooth decay could be affecting a tooth that may not fall out for another 2 or more years.
Children are tough and they often do not complain, but not having treatment for a decayed tooth may cause pain and suffering for your child. Worst case scenario, they may have a chronic toothache causing pain when eating, which could eventually lead to an abscess (collection of pus around the tooth), or a face swelling that could land them in hospital.
If things have become that severe that there is an infection in the tooth, there is usually no choice but to extract it. Once the tooth is removed, this causes a gap. The teeth next door often tilt over and can close up this gap. This then could cause a space problem as the adult teeth underneath can no longer come through properly. This can only be fixed with orthodontic treatment and could cause some major dental issues for your child.
Child with a facial swelling caused by an infected tooth.
Tooth decay affecting baby teeth.
So please, consider these very severe and complex consequences of tooth decay in your child’s teeth.
Please take them to the dentist every 6 months.
Please have fillings completed as soon as you can.
Please don’t leave holes in your kids teeth.
Please don’t let their dental problems get more severe!
Please don’t let your child suffer!
As a dentist, there is nothing worse for us than to see a child suffering unnecessarily when all of these problems could have been prevented.
So please, monitor your child’s intake of sweet foods and try your best to ensure they brush their teeth twice daily.
We will thank you for it!
Do you think your child might have tooth decay? Please call us on 6143 5655 now or book online here.
