Don’t take lots of sugar;It causes tooth decay

A Principal Dental Surgeon of the La General Hospital Dental Clinic, Dr Margaret Kwakye, has advised children against taking too much sugar because that would cause their teeth to decay.

She said a common disease among children is tooth decay because most of the food children consume contained sugar which, could  get stuck on the teeth and turn into acid to cause the teeth to decay. 

 Dr Kwakye who was speaking at the first Children’s Dental Fair in Accra, explained that food often got stuck on the teeth at night when there was no movement in the mouth. She, therefore, encouraged children to brush their teeth twice daily in the morning and before they go to bed in the evening to prevent tooth decay.

She asked children to use toothpaste that contained fluoride because it would strengthen the teeth and prevent decay. 

“It is not advisable for both children and adults to use hard brushes to clean their teeth because it could hurt their gum,” she pointed out and suggested the use of medium toothbrushes to brush the teeth and tongue.

A Naturopath Consultant, Dr David Addo, also advised children against excessive sugar consumption because “excess sugar turns into acid and takes out the calcium from the bones and teeth.” 

He said the sugar in ice-cream, juices and chocolates did not have any nutrients but rather harm the body. 

The programme was sponsored by Unilever, Nestle Ghana Limited and the La General Hospital Dental Clinic.