Drinking fruit juice as part of 'five a day' could damage children's
teeth
17 Mar, BELLE NEWS
Dentists warn that children who are encouraged to drink large amounts
of fruit juice as part of their "five a day" could be damaging their
teeth.
Specialists are concerned that health- conscious parents who
regularly give their children juices and smoothies bursting with fruit
could be doing long-term damage.
Dr. Kathy Harley, dean of the dental faculty at the Royal College of
Surgeons in UK, warned that half of 5-year-olds had signs of wear to
their tooth enamel.
She has called on schools to offer milk or water to pupils during
breaks instead of fruit juice, which has a high acid content.Dental
erosion, which is irreversible, is caused by acid attacking the surface
of teeth - and citrus fruit juices in particular are very acidic.
While fruit juices contain a range of vitamins that are good for your
health, they are also often high in natural sugars, which cause tooth
decay.
Kathy Harley suggested parents should give their children fruit juice
as a treat once a week, for example on Saturdays.
It suggests people drink the juice with a meal as this can help to
reduce damage to the teeth. Drinking more than one glass of juice a day
does not count as more than one portion of fruit, as it does not contain
the fibre found in the whole fruit.
Juicing or blending fruit releases the sugars inside and is worse for
the teeth if drunk frequently.
Some researchers also say drinking juice slowly can cause more damage
to teeth.
Dentists have previously warned that, while tooth decay is less
common as more children and adults brush their teeth regularly than in
the past, dental erosion is a growing problem due to acidic drinks.
Research published last year by King's College London Dental
Institute, based on a study of 1,000 people aged between 18 and 30,
suggested eating an apple could be worse for teeth than drinking a fizzy
drink because of the acid it contains.
Experts recommend people continue to eat fruit but drink water
afterwards to wash away the acid or eat something containing calcium,
such as cheese, which neutralizes acid.
Damien Walmsley, an adviser to the British Dental Association said:
"If you are having fruit, keep it to meal times. That [may] go against
the [recommendation of] five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but
it is not a good idea snacking on it because of the continual drip, drip
on to the tooth." |