Christmas is a time when normal eating habits go straight out of the window. Nobody will bat an eyelid at cracking open a bottle of Prosecco first thing in the morning or even think twice about having a mince pie for breakfast. In fact, Christmas is such a joyous occasion that people are even prepared to eat Brussel sprouts (eurgh!)
However – and I’m sure hundreds of thousands of people across Stoke-on-Trent will agree with me here – one of the best parts of Christmas is digging into your stocking and tucking in to your sweets and selection boxes throughout the day. My mouth is just salivating at the prospect of breaking open that delicious bar of milk chocolate!
Yes, as Andy Williams famously sang, It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. Children will have smiles on their faces wider than the River Mersey as they frantically unwrap their gifts from Santa and revel in the chance to devour a Fredo before 10am. It’s a chance to meet up with family and friends and lavish loved ones with gifts and treats.
Our message is clear. Have fun and be merry but, here comes The Grinch from Grosvenor Dental Practice, please do not go overboard with the sweets.
A recent report found nearly a quarter of children are starting school with rotten teeth. Worse than that, a record 42,911 children under the age of 18 had to have multiple teeth removed by NHS surgeons – a figure which has been steadily rising over the past five years.
This is a shocking statistic because tooth decay is totally preventable. As a nation we have access to a range of efficient toothpastes and effective toothbrushes. We also have the knowledge of what is good and what is bad for our dental health. Plus it only takes two minutes in the morning and two minutes at night to keep your child’s teeth nice and clean.
Poor dental hygiene can have a huge impact on the early foundations of a child’s life, affecting their confidence, their ability to eat, play and communicate properly.
Eating too many sweets and drinking far too much fizzy drinks have been blamed for the alarming rise in child tooth decay. The Government hopes to combat this with the recent introduction of the sugar tax as child tooth decay is costing the NHS more than £36 million a year in removing severely damaged teeth.
Unfortunately it looks as though children are following in the footsteps of their parents. A recent poll found a third of adults don’t brush their teeth twice a day and 37% never floss. More alarmingly is the two per cent who claim to never brush their teeth at all!
We don’t want to be party poopers, after all everything is ok in moderation. But if you are going to treat your little ones to a mountain of sweets this Christmas please make sure they brush their teeth properly twice a day.
We understand that brushing teeth doesn’t come close to playing with the latest must-have toy or watching PJ Masks, but, done regularly, brushing teeth will ensure you have a healthy mouth and gums for years to come.
If your child does find brushing their teeth boring, we recommend downloading the FREE Aquafresh Brush Time app via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Captain Aquafresh and his friends show kids how to brush their teeth correctly in a fun and friendly fashion. Children can create their own brush time session, selecting their own characters, sceneries and songs, with more unlocked the more you use it.
So we wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope to see you in the New Year with you and your children’s pearly whites all intact!
