A recent report cited in the California Dental Association Journal - November 2020 issue  has linked consumption of sugar sweetened drinks (SSD) to increased dental caries,  obesity, and Type 2 diabetes in the pediatric population.   A sugar sweetened drinks (SSD) is defined as any beverage containing sugar added to it. This includes sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, flavored water, and other beverages such as teas and coffees. This is an important topic to discuss since there is a direct the link between oral health and overall health.

From 2011 to 2014, 63% of youth (ages 2-19) consumed at least one SSD daily. This constitutes 7.3% of their daily caloric intake.  Moreover, almost 20% of all sugar consumption in youth come from SSDs.   Consumption increased with age, low income, and race minority groups.

Increased Dental Caries

In another study, consumption of SSDs such as Coca Cola, Sprite, and Minute Maid Orange Juice increased enamel roughness.  This led to increased attachment to plaque and bacteria to the surface of the tooth.  Acid release occurs when plaque attaches to the enamel surface, thereby weakening the enamel.  This leads to a cavitation.

Obesity

Healthcare providers are aware of the connections between oral health and overall health.  From an early age children pick up eating habits that stay with them for a lifetime.  Starting with healthy food options and sticking to sound oral hygiene habits will help make the paradigm shift to prevention.  As more children make food choices that included SSD consumption, there is a shift to unhealthy food sources that can lead to obesity. Consumption of SSDs only provide empty calories.  These empty calories coupled with the lack of physical activity can lead to obesity in children.

Most dental providers shy away from discussing obesity, especially childhood obesity since they feel they may offend the parent or the child.  However, most parents, when asked if they could be open to having a discussion on this topic responded favorably to having an oral health provider discuss this area of health.

Type 2 Diabetes

Just like in childhood obesity, consumption of SSDs can affect the body's ability to regulate glucose and insulin.  This is a balanced regulation.  Flooding the body with sugars, such as from the daily consumption of SSDs, can decrease the body's ability to use insulin to decrease blood sugar levels. This can lead to Type 2 diabetes in children.

Goals

Oral health care providers have started using a screening tool to help start the conversation with parents and patients.  One of these screening tools is a caries assessment test which evaluates factors that may increase a child's risk for dental decay.  Moreover, this screening tool can be expanded to address some these other areas of health, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. Check out our monthly blog posts! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

COVID-19 Precautions

Find out how we are protecting our patients and our staff with our improved safety protocol.

Get to Know Us

Get acquainted with us by watching our practice video and find out what we do.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. For more than a decade, served as assistant professor for the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD). He is currently an instructor at LLUSD.

[caption id="attachment_1064" align="alignleft" width="640"] Are Dried Fruits Bad for my Child's Teeth[/caption]

Dried fruits are a convenient snack for busy families. Unless you’re drying the fruit yourself (go you!), you don’t have to wash or slice anything; just hand those kiddos a box of raisins and be out the door. Plus – you can feel good about adding to your kiddo’s servings of fruits for the day.

But…what about all that sticky, sugary goodness? Isn’t that a no-no when it comes to dental health? The quick answer is: it’s complicated.

What is Dried Fruit?

Dried fruit is simply fruit that has had its water removed to some extent, leaving a shriveled, smaller version of its original form. Compared to fresh fruit, it's more shelf-stable.

Some forms of dried fruit have sugar added to improve taste or texture. And some dried fruit is encrusted with sugar crystals or chocolate. What we recommend offering to your kiddos is the plain stuff – no sugar added.

How Might Dried Fruits Affect Teeth?

Dried fruits contain sugar, and have a sticky texture. Anything that’s sweet and sticks to your teeth for a long time has the potential to contribute to tooth decay. The longer that sugar sits on teeth, the happier your mouth bacteria are as they chomp away and produce the acid that can attack your enamel.

When we eat dried fruits, it’s easy to go overboard on the sugar. Typically when we eat dried fruits, we eat a lot more than the equivalent amount of fresh fruit. A handful of dried apricots looks a lot like the same quantity in our eyes as a single fresh one.

But don’t cross dried fruit off your shopping list just yet…

There are Benefits, Though

Dried fruits are still fruit, after all. That means they contain fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients that are part of a healthy diet. Research tells us that some of these nutrients, such as polyphenols, actually help prevent the accumulation of plaque on teeth.

Other research theorizes that individual traits (such as the composition of bacteria in our mouths) have more to do with how a raisin will affect our teeth than the amount of sugar it contains.

You’d be surprised to learn how many other factors there are in relation to dried fruit’s effect on teeth. All in all, it appears there is insufficient evidence to conclude that dried fruit is, in fact, bad for our teeth.

So…hooray! Because there is some evidence to point toward dried fruit being beneficial for oral health in some ways, as well as containing important nutrients for our bodies, we say it’s a great option for hungry little tummies!

Again, you’re better off sticking with dried fruits that don’t have added sugars (though of course some yummy chocolate-covered fruits can be an occasional treat!). And offer some water to help wash anything sticky off teeth and down the hatch.

And, as always, maintain regular dental health visits with your child’s dentist to make sure their teeth are in good shape!

All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. Check out our monthly blog posts! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

COVID-19 Precautions

Find out how we are protecting our patients and our staff with our improved safety protocol.

Get acquainted with us by watching our practice video and find out what we do.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. For more than a decade, served as assistant professor for the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD). He is currently an instructor at LLUSD.

[caption id="attachment_664" align="alignleft" width="600"] Should I Brush Before I Floss?[/caption]

This is an age-old question. Should you floss before you brush or after? If you asked any one of our team members, you just might get a different answer on this one!

Before you report them for not knowing their stuff, each response can be right! As long as you’re doing a thorough job when you floss! Let me explain.

The Case for Flossing Before Brushing

Theoretically, flossing first dislodges the gunk between your teeth, letting the fluoride in your toothpaste reach those crevices better.

Also, behavioral scientists say since most people don’t like to floss, it’s better to get the least-pleasant half of your dental routine out of the way first – you’ll be less likely to skip it.

Once you have a minty, fresh mouth from brushing, you might be less inclined to feel the need to floss afterward.

The Case for Flossing After Brushing

Some say flossing last is better because it clears your mouth from extra food and debris that could otherwise be carried by the floss into the very spaces you’re trying to clean out.

Plus, it might be more pleasant to put those flossing hands into a clean mouth versus an unbrushed one.

Bottom Line

Floss when it works for you. But make it a habit! Choose the same time every day, floss once a day, and floss thoroughly.

And don’t forget to use the right flossing method: for each new set of teeth, use a new section of floss, and hug each side of the tooth by dragging the floss upward in the shape of a “C.”  Need a refresher? Check out our flossing illustration to help you keep those pearly white teeth clean.

Want us to show you how? Just ask!

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also has a handy infographic to maintaining healthy teeth for your children.

Last Note

Just remember, if you want your children to have healthy oral habits, such as flossing, you will have to start doing it yourself. Daily.  Research has shown that children mirror their parents.  Why not get them to start a habit that will be beneficial and one that they can use to save their teeth for the rest of their life!

All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. For more information about brushing and flossing check out our preventive care page. Still want more information? Check out our blog posts on prevention! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

Get acquainted with us by watching our practice video and find out what we do.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

5 Reasons for Healthy Teeth

[caption id="attachment_548" align="aligncenter" width="410"] 5 Reasons for Healthy Teeth[/caption]

1.  Love.

Love your teeth? Get into the routine of making them a priority, so they will last a lifetime.  Honor your body. By taking care of your body using preventive measures, you will not only enjoy good health, but feel great. You deserve it!

2. Your Priority Reflects On Your Own Inner Values.

At a minimum, brush your teeth two times a day and floss once a day. That's just 6 minutes out of your day! Want to find about more techniques? Check out our website's preventive care page.

3. Your Heart Will Thank You.

Oral health is linked to heart health. How? Plaque and bacteria from your gumline can find its way into your bloodstream and heart. Gum disease can lead to bone loss causing teeth to feel loose.  Learn more about how to keep your gums healthy by reading gum disease on our website.

4. Be Motivated.

Did you know only 12% of the general population floss their teeth on a daily basis? You can do it! Then you too can be part of this healthy group.

5. Pass Along the Information.

Become an oral health ambassador.  If you have children or other loved ones in your household, then share with them the painless way to healthy teeth.

There are more ways to have healthy teeth.  Continue to checkout our blog posts for more information.  Our website also great info on oral hygiene and diet recommendations.

At All Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we incorporate proven techniques to share with you and your child at each dental checkup visit. Dr. Allen Job and his team are committed to providing the latest in oral health care prevention. For more information about brushing and flossing check out our preventive care page. Still want more information? Check out our blog posts on prevention! Our practice is centrally located in San Diego, CA.

Scheduling an appointment for your child is easy! Start here to schedule an appointment. All of our forms are online. Fill them out securely from your smartphone or tablet and hit send. On appointment day, your child will be seen at their scheduled time. For example, if you have a 9:00 AM appointment, your child will be seen at 9:00 AM.

Dr. Allen Job, DDS, MS, MPH, MS is a board certified pediatric dentist who practices in San Diego, California, where he specializes in prevention. He is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Department of Pediatric Dentistry.