How fruit juices rot toddlers' teeth

More than 1,200 toddlers under two were hospitalised last year with rotten teeth – many of them because they were given fruit juice in their bottles.

How fruit juices rot toddlers' teeth: 1,200 under-twos in hospital to have them pulled out

• Experts believe parents are rotting children's teeth with sugary fruit juices
• More than 1,200 toddlers had to have teeth removed in hospital last year
• It is a ten per cent increase on 2010 which dentists blame on sugary diets

By SOPHIE BORLAND HEALTH CORRESPONDENT FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Dentists say parents assume they are giving their children something healthy, when in fact sugar in the juice is eating away at their teeth.

Many of the children treated needed several teeth extracted under general anaesthetic.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre said 1,235 under-twos needed hospital treatment, including 134 under one whose milk teeth would have only just emerged.

There were 45,259 admissions for under-18s for tooth decay – equal to 870 a week.

The numbers have increased by 10 per cent since 2010, which dentists blame on our increasingly sugary diets and less frequent check-ups.

Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser at the British Dental Association, said: ‘Regardless of age, frequent consumption of sugary foods and drinks outside mealtimes is the leading cause of tooth decay.

‘Although tooth decay is largely preventable, the risk of disease increases the more teeth come into contact with sugary foods and drinks. We see tooth decay in children as young as two from giving them too many sugary drinks and foods.

‘But most damaging of all is allowing them to sip on sugared drinks in bottles throughout the night. Tooth decay – often involving several teeth – is the main reason why youngsters are admitted to hospital to have a general anaesthetic.’

A glass of apple juice contains seven teaspoons of sugar – the same as a can of coke. A smoothie also contains seven, a yoghurt four and a cereal bar four and a half.

Last week, the World Health Organisation said no one should eat more than six teaspoons of sugar a day to prevent tooth decay and obesity.

Dr Ewa Rozwadowska, spokesman for the British Dental Health Foundation, said she had removed all 20 milk teeth from children as young as two because they were so rotten.

She added: ‘Children are snacking more and these foods contain hidden sugar. People aren’t always aware that fruit juice can cause just as much tooth decay as fizzy drinks.

‘Parents are not taking their children to a dentist as early as they used to – they need to be taking them from birth.’

Dr Rozwadowska also said parents were taking their children to dentists less frequently.

This may partly be due to reforms in 2006 that made NHS dental check-ups more costly and harder to access.

Dr Sandra White, director of dental public health at Public Health England – the government agency responsible for preventing poor health, said: ‘Tooth decay is a serious disease and can result in having teeth removed in hospital under general anaesthetic, which is stressful for the child and the parent.’ 

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