Saving Oral and Overall Health: Don’t Let Kids Drink Sugary Beverages
When it comes to beverages, children often choose sweetened drinks over water. The sad part is such choices contain empty calories and lots of sugar that can contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. The damage to teeth intensifies if they consume them in large amounts or if your child has poor oral hygiene.
Common Sugary Drinks
Sweet beverages may include fruit juice, soft drinks, energy drinks, as well as flavored water. Breast milk and unflavored cow’s milk may contain lactose, but they are not considered sugary beverages. Milk, furthermore, is essential for your child’s teeth, bones, and development.
The Truth About Fruit Juice
It’s normal to think that fruit juices are healthy because they come from natural food, loaded with vitamins. The thing is making a glass of orange juice, for instance, will require three to four fruits. Your kid, on the other hand, can get a sufficient amount of vitamin C by eating half an orange. This is why it is best to encourage them to eat fruits and vegetables, instead of drinking juice.
Repercussions to Diet
Indianapolis kids’ dentists note that it’s not advisable to include fruit juice or sweet drinks in your child’s diet. You can let them drink some occasionally and be sure to dilute them in water. Note that consuming sugary beverages contributes to decay, lowers the nutritional quality of your kid’s diet, and teaches the habit of drinking the said beverage.
Water is the Best Drink
For most kids, water is the best drink for quenching thirst. Breast milk is great for infants or those younger than 12 months old. Older kids can still benefit from milk, but be sure to no offer more than three glasses per day since it can result in poor appetite. It is also advisable to avoid soft drinks or artificially sweetened beverages.
Proper Oral Care
Caring for your child’s teeth is also important to avoid tooth decay. Get them into the habit of brushing their teeth at least twice a day, for two minutes each time. For babies and toddlers, don’t let them go to sleep with sweetened drinks on the bottle. You should also encourage them to drink from an infant cup when they are six months old.
Don’t let sweetened drink compromise your child’s oral and overall health. Limit or avoid sugary beverages and visit your child’s dentist not later than their first birthday.
