Number 1 cause of Hospitalisation in Children is tooth Decay and it’s consequences!

How do we help our children’s teeth and health?

This is something I am hugely passionate about.
Sugar is everywhere; we have made an attempt to get schools healthy thanks to Jamie Oliver. The government has tried to educate parents. Yet Children everywhere are still overweight still have tooth decay and as a population there is more obesity more heart disease and more diabetes.

In my view we need to start at the beginning. Children’s nurseries should be made to cook fresh homemade food. And they should not be advocates of sweets at the drop of a hat.
Parents do not reward your children with sweets use stickers or other rewards.
Children are not born knowing that they will love sweets. We give them that knowledge. We make them addicted to sugar. We cause their energy levels to peak and trough. By giving them processed sugar and sweets we are part of the reason their moods go up and down.
Has anyone ever thought of educating the children from as young as 2, 3 and 4 years of age? They are cleverer than we give them credit for.

My son knows that sugar is bad and he know the reasons why. He is only just 4 years old. I want to give him the best start in life to make his own decisions. Don’t get me wrong he does have chocolate occasionally but I never give him any other kind of sweets. And when he is offered sweets he looks to me for permission and if I say no he is not bothered, he has even been known to say “no thank you they are not good for you” much to the disgust of the person offering them to him.

Probably at this point some of you reading this will be thinking that poor little boy! ...This is because society has made us associate children with sweets. And this is not a class thing either. My son has been offered sweets by intelligent well educated people, I myself am a single parent and there have been times when I have almost given in to society’s pressures to give children sweets but I found the strength to say “NO thank you he is not allowed sweets”. Even when I have received some awful looks and I know that I am being judged negatively for my decision to keep my child healthy.

I have at times been shocked by the abundance and frequency that sweets are given out at children’s parties and at nursery schools.

We know ourselves that eating and drinking healthily makes us feel better so why do we not want the same for our children.

Phew... That is my Rant over!......

The fact of the matter is that half of 8 year olds and a third of 5 year olds have signs of tooth decay.

So what can we at Greyholme Do about it?

1. Provide free dental heath reviews for children under 6.

2. Provide the very best oral health instruction and diet advice

3. Offer preventative treatments such as fluoride and fissure sealants

4. Offer membership to our children’s Club

5. Work with schools and nurseries to provide education in the community.

So what can you do about it?

1. Bring your children to a dentist regularly

2. Learn about how to clean your teeth and listen to your dental hygienists advice.

3. Swap sugary sweets for chocolate and eat it straight after meals as a pudding.

4. Limit fizzy drinks

5. Limit fruit juices

Perhaps we need to practice what we preach to our children and make ourselves healthier at the same time!

Thanks for listening!!

Leanne x

For more info on preventative dentistry please visit our website

www.greyholmedental.com

Welcome Back Joanne!

This blog is chance for me and the rest of the team to say welcome back to Jo. She has just returned from Maternity leave. Warren and Jo had Ethan at the end of July last year. They now have two gorgeous boys.

Joanne is the most passionate hygienist I have ever met throughout my 16 years in the dental industry.

Jo has great results with all her patients. Her passion shines through every time she treats someone. She knows just how important the health of your mouth is in your overall health.

An amazing Dental Hygienist sets an awesome dental practice apart from other dental practices.

Looking after your teeth alone is not good enough; if your gums are unhealthy your teeth can become loose, so even the prettiest teeth can fall out.

Having unhealthy gums is linked to cardiac disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many other serious conditions.

So the next time you see your dental hygienist remember you are not just going for a quick clean up.

Jo spends a minimum of 20 minutes and an average of 30 minutes with each patient, taking measurements, doing risk assessments and picking up any problem areas before she even starts to clean your teeth.

Jo is a great mentor to our hygiene team and now she is back we can feel her passion running throughout the practice like a breath of fresh air.


It’s good to have you back Jo!

Leanne and the team x

For more info on gum health please visit:

greyholmedental.com