Children need strong and healthy teeth when they are growing up to help them develop strong and straight teeth when they are adults. Tooth decay can begin at a very early age and can cause a whole series of dental problems later in life. This early tooth decay, also known as baby bottle decay, is often caused by giving children too many sugary drinks.

The sugar contained in many drinks such as fruit juices, baby formula and even milk can encourage the growth of bacteria that causes plaque. Plaque is a filmy substance that surrounds the teeth and causes the break down of tooth enamel. There are several easy tips to help avoid baby bottle decay that if followed can help your children to develop healthy teeth.

Avoid giving your child drinks with a high sugar content. Breast milk is far better for your child’s teeth than formula as it contains less sugar. As your child gets older, try to give them water rather than juice or milk. Try to remember to remove the bottle when the child has fallen asleep and try to teach children to drink form a cup as early as possible. Try to discourage your child from prolonged use of a dummy and never dip the dummy in honey or sugar to get them to use it.

Always encourage your children to clean their teeth and begin to floss at an early age. London dentists can give you more advice on how best to clean your child’s teeth and can recommend which products will be most suitable. Children should visit the dentist every six months just like adults to ensure their teeth develop as healthily as possible.

London’s many dentists keep telling their patients that all it takes to reduce visits to them is regular oral hygiene. Yes it is as simple as that! Most dental problems like tooth decay and gum diseases start from plaque and bacteria buildup that starts due to irregular cleaning of your teeth. Thanks to our busy life and 24X7 food temptations in London, we often forget to regularly brush our teeth twice a day, floss them once a day and use antiseptic mouthwash to keep our mouth bacteria free. A good routine of oral hygiene almost always prevents plaque buildup. Plaque is the sticky film of food and bacteria that builds on our teeth due to insufficient teeth cleaning. This plaque invades our tooth’s many crevices and fissures; generating harmful acids that slowly corrode or decay, the tooth’s protective enamel surface – causing cavities (holes) in it. That’s not all, as this problematic plaque often irritates the gum and could cause a painful gum disease and even tooth loss. The fluoride-in-your toothpaste and drinking water does prevent some plaque buildup. There are also many popular dental treatments available in London that help your teeth. Some of the ‘easy to implement treatments’ include sealant application, fluoride treatments and scaling (scraping off hardened plaque / tartar). As a precautionary measure dentists like to conduct cancer screening tests using x-ray imaging. According to a recent survey 56% dentists said that most of their patients were not sufficiently worried about tooth decay and were ignorant about tooth cancer too. It is time you became more careful about your forgotten teeth and its many ailments that arise out of your own carelessness.