Junk Food and Their Effect on Oral Health in Children

Whenever we think of dental problems in children, we think about cavities! We advise them to eat fewer chocolates and concentrate more on milk for strong bones and teeth. If dental problems were this simple, then no kid would complain of degrading oral health and aching tooth every day.

The kids of our present generation binge on junk food like every one of us. They are introduced to the soda beverages or carbonated drinks much earlier in their life. They believe that there is a packet full of magic in that bag of chips that their parents buy them. However, on the contrary, junk food has been eroding the enamel and the health of many young lads and ladies. Every Surrey dentist has this advise for the parents:

Junk Food is a big NO for Children!

If you want your child to have strong and glowing teeth, no tooth ache or cavities, then focus on this factor… junk food! The more your child is prone to eat out at the junk food joints or you are in the habit of packing junk food for your child, then stop doing it immediately. Most parents around the world are either working or too busy with their lives to understand that nutritious food is the most important thing for their child’s health and growth.

While, we continue to stop our children from gorging on chocolates, we need to ensure that there is enough nutritious food around for them. Fries, burgers, pizza and even ham sandwiches are an easy choice, available around you and sometimes, even cheap. These foods are generally low in nutritional value and have high sugar content. The acidic and sugar content of the food erodes the tooth enamel if junk food is frequently consumed.

There is actually no harm in bringing junk food home once in a while. But for all the parents who find it as an easy respite, think again! You probably need to care a little bit more about the dental health of your child.

Effect on overall health

In the long run, poor oral health results in constant dental pain and cavities in the children. They might have to avoid hard food such as meat, vegetables, fruits etc which are actually healthy for them. This results in poor nutrition and lets children consume more of junk food that are far more comforting to their teeth such as high sugar beverages.

The consumption of junk food also significantly increases the chances of developing serious illness over a period of time. These include diabetes and obesity. Obesity is a menace in our part of the world. The lack of nutritious food and over exposure to junk food has resulted in poor eating habits and development of growth problems.

Therefore, it can be concluded that dental health of each child is important and parents need to take precautionary measures towards introducing junk food in the children’s lives. They need to be regularly examined by the dentist and ensure that their child has a daily dose of the right nutrient content in their foods.