The perils of a picnic

School holiday picnics, sweets and fizzy drinks can all contribute to kids tooth decay

We’re right in the middle of the summer school holidays and with the weather remaining reasonable it’s only natural that parents are treating their children to trips, picnics and days out. Any occasion of this nature, even if it’s only a picnic in the garden, usually involves lots of sweet treats and drinks, which although these are something that delight young children they do pose a health concern and can be a major contribution to kids tooth decay.At Carisbrook Dental we come across cases of kids tooth decay all the time, which is sad really because we know that with a little thought virtually all of this is entirely preventable.School holidays should be fun times and especially the warm days of the long summer hols should be looked back on with memories of lovely days out to the seaside, the park, the countryside or to exciting venues such as the zoo. These should be days that are full of enjoyment playing out in the open air and enjoying a picnic with friends and family.We certainly don’t want families to ditch these enjoyable occasions. All we are recommending is that when you do pack up the picnic or reach for your purse to treat your children you simply pause and bear in mind the very real risks of kids tooth decay and the misery this can bring.Too many sweets or constant snacking on sugary foods during the day can have a devastating effect on the long-term health of children’s teeth. Likewise, sugar-laden drinks and especially sweet fizzy drinks are particularly harmful to young teeth.All we are saying is that instead of loading the picnic hamper with sweet foods you should take a little time to consider other savoury alternatives and unsweetened drinks. Seaside rock for instance is almost pure sugar and of course the stick of rock is sometimes sucked almost constantly. It couldn’t be worse for causing kids tooth decay.So please, just consider the alternatives. Also please do not neglect your children’s dental hygiene and do ensure that you teach them to brush their teeth properly morning and night.Our other advice would be to ensure that children, even very young toddlers, receive regular check-ups at their dentist. That way if there are any signs of kids tooth decay then the appropriate action can be taken before the problem becomes so bad that teeth have to be extracted (usually under a general anaesthetic).So do enjoy what is left of the summer holidays, but do be careful about what is in the picnic hamper and what your youngsters snack on.If you are worried about kids tooth decay or if you would like to make an appointment for one of our dentists to check over your children’s teeth or if you would like to chat about cleaning advice please do not hesitate to contact us. You can call us on 0161 951 7295 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Appointments page.