Have you ever had to take your child to an emergency dentist? There are not many things in this world that can make a child more miserable than a toothache. At Joondalup City Dental, we gladly accept emergency patients seven days a week with long hours on the weekdays but we prefer to help your child before it becomes a dental emergency.
According to a study at Cardiff University, an exceedingly high proportion of children aged 12-14 consume sports drinks on a daily basis. Children are attracted to sports drinks for a number of factors: they are inexpensive, ubiquitous and always available. 90% of those who drink sports drinks love the taste. Ironically enough, only 18% of the children said they liked sports drinks for the performance factor.
The most interesting aspect of this study is that sport drinks were never intended for children in the first place but neither parents nor children are aware of this fact. According to Maria Morgan, who is a senior lecturer in dental public health at Cardiff University, people are misunderstanding the true purpose of sports drinks.
Sports drinks are commonly sold in stores alongside other sweet beverages. This is attracting school age children to drinks that are not only high in sugar but low in pH, meaning they are acidic. If you were trying to promote tooth decay and or gum disease on purpose, a standard sports drink would be the perfect place to start.
Ms Morgan says her study shows that sports drinks are leading children to higher rates of both tooth decay and obesity. The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) at Cardiff University recommends that the marketing of sports drinks to children and their availability should be regulated in some fashion.
We hope this convinces you to wean your children off of sports drinks. But if they keep drinking them and you need an emergency dentist, call Joondalup City Dental today (08) 9404 9500
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, we encourage you to discuss these matters with an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
