Fizzy drinks out of baby bottles ruining kids teeth

Far too many children experience tooth decay in Northland. Photo / supplied

Infants drinking juice and fizzy drinks out of baby bottles is just one of the alarming causes of Northland's shocking child tooth decay, an expert says.

According to Northland DHB oral health adviser Neil Croucher, far too many children experience tooth decay in Northland, with most of it avoidable if parents took more responsibility for what their children drink.

There are about 27,000 children aged under 12 in Northland and Dr Croucher said the DHB had about a 95 per cent uptake from them on using the dental services. The region had one of the highest rates in the country of dental caries in children aged under 12.

DHB records show the number of Northland children under 12 using the services has increased each year for the past three years.

"Dental decay is a preventable disease and yet it is the most common disease experienced in both children and adults in the developed world," Dr Croucher said.

Infants who drank sugary drinks invariably ended up on hospital general anaesthetic lists for removal of multiple front and back baby teeth, Dr Croucher said.

"There is an affordable way to prevent the very destructive form of dental decay we call 'bottle carriers' ... that is to only use water in baby's bottles from day one," he said. "These children, as a result, don't develop a craving for sugary foods and drinks, and instead are just as happy to drink water or milk to quench their thirst."

Cost was a factor in other preventable cases, Dr Croucher said.

"It breaks my heart to see the differential costs between healthy food and drink options and unhealthy ones here in New Zealand. Over the past 25 years, beverages and foods containing high sugar levels have not only become more accessible but more affordable also.

"A healthy drink like milk is 3 to 4 times more expensive than the cheapest fizzy drink.

"Most people today wouldn't have to travel very far to gain access to cheap fizzy drinks ... your nearest dairy or gas station, for example."

Making milk more affordable would have huge benefits, he said.

"In the United Kingdom, for example, a 2-litre bottle of milk is the equivalent to $2 in their supermarkets.

"I am not sure how the cheaper milk price in the United Kingdom is achieved, whether through commercial bulk buying by United Kingdom supermarkets directly from the milk producer, or by government subsidies or both, but I cannot see why New Zealand can't offer milk to the consumer at $2 as well, especially as we are a major producer of dairy products."

He said a small proportion of children were experiencing worsening decay rates.

"Eighty per cent of our children have 20 per cent of the dental decay.

"Most of these children with high dental decay experience come from families living on low incomes, so there is a definite link here to lifestyle factors at home and how difficult it is for families on low incomes to be able to afford the healthier food and drink choices."

The DHB's community oral health service now saw children from birth, meaning it could build good relationships with families early on, he said.

"Healthier food and drink habits, along with regular twice-daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste from the moment the first tooth appears in the mouth, can significantly reduce the risk of young children getting dental decay."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health's latest survey found 83.8 per cent of New Zealand children aged 1-to 14-years visited a dental practitioner in the 2014 financial year.

That was 2.5 per cent more than in 2013 and 8.1 per cent more than in 2007.

Basic oral health care is free until the age of 18.

The survey found Maori children were 1.6 times more likely to have had a tooth extracted in the 12 months than non-Maori, with one in 20 Maori children getting teeth removed due to decay.