Last Updated on 19th March 2020
New guidelines suggest that milk and water are the things children aged five and under should mostly drink, explains Richard Colebourne, the principal dentist at Evesham Dental Health Team.
A panel of scientists has issued the new nutritional guidelines that say children should not be given any drinks containing sugar or sweeteners.
What children drink at a young age can have a significant impact on their oral health, general health and overall wellbeing say the Evesham dentists at our practice on Broadway Road.
Milk is a great source of calcium, protein and several other vitamins and minerals that are essential for growth and development.
Water is ideal – and not just for youngsters – because it isn’t acidic, has no calories and contains no sugar that can cause unnecessary damage to our teeth.
Sugary drinks have been blamed in part for thousands of children in the UK having rotten teeth removed in hospital every year, as well as high levels of obesity.
Public Health England reports that nine out of ten hospital tooth extractions among young children are due to preventable tooth decay.
In addition, almost one in five children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, rising to one in three when they start secondary school.
Both public health issues have prompted calls for Brits to make changes to their diet, so they have a better chance of avoiding these oral and general health issues.
The new guidelines have been published by Healthy Drinks Healthy Kids, a project by Healthy Eating Research that studies strategies for childhood nutrition.
Dental care at home
As well as regular dental and hygiene appointments, we should all brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes, using fluoride toothpaste. Also changing our diets will have a significant impact on our oral health, both in the short and longer term.
Concerned about your dental health?
Please contact us as our door is always open to new patients and their families. We are proud to offer excellent dental care for all ages to the communities of Evesham, Pershore, Worcester, Stratford and beyond.
