Have your teens got into the habit of having a sports drink after sports training or their weekly sports match? Has celebration come to mean a 1,100 ml slushy for them? Or is being sophisticated mean a 500ml bottle of iced tea? Do they want to down a 600 ml bottle of cola or lemon squash when they are eating out?
Your Dentist Epping, the Cancer Council, the Heart Foundation and Diabetes Australia will tell you that these habits are terrible for your teen’s future oral and physical health. The high concentrations of sugar and acid in all these drinks are associated with tooth decay and a raft of life-limiting and life-threatening health issues.
But how do you as a parent deal with this?
Some education might be in order for a start, but remember that a light hand will probably be more effective than a heavy one.
You might find this website useful too https://www.rethinksugarydrink.org.au/facts
Quite probably, your teen does not know how much sugar is in the bottle or can of drink. A slushy has up to 25 teaspoons of sugar in it, a sports drink, up to 9 teaspoons, 500 mls of iced tea, up to 8 teaspoons, 600 mls of soda or squash, up to 16 teaspoons.
It is also likely that your teen does not know about the health consequences of this sugary habit. One sip of a sugary drink is followed by hours of acidic and sugary attack on their teeth enamel – that is the way to loss of enamel and tooth decay. A daily can of cola can add 6.5 kg of weight over a year — that is the way to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and a range of cancers.
Your Dentist Epping implores you to educate your teen and make plain water readily available at home. Water is what the body really needs, and it comes without any of the dangers of added sugar.
Please discuss with your teen how the current situation financially rewards the sugary drink manufacturers, so your teen can start to see through their advertising campaigns.
Please discuss with your teens an alternative drink in each social situation where they currently consume a sugary drink.
Your Dentist Epping knows that changing these habits is not easy, but any step in the right direction is good and to be celebrated! And after a while, the next one can be taken towards oral health and a long-term healthy lifestyle.
To find out more, please click the link for an appointment for a consultation:
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9868 3037