Dentists at TTUHSC EP remind kids to eat Easter candy in moderation
EL PASO, Texas -- Easter baskets will be filled to the brim with all kinds of treats this holiday weekend, from chocolate bunnies to marshmallow chicks. But dentists at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center of El Paso want to remind Borderland kids and parents to indulgence in moderation.
“We know that sugar can be detrimental to the oral cavity can cause cavities, but it also could contribute to diabetes, hypertension, and obesity," said Dr. Todd Parco, a pediatric dentist at the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine. “My advice would be to make sure that if they can eat it within five minutes, it's probably more of a meal than it is a treat.”
Parco said drinking water will help rise the sugars down after eating candy, adding that the sugars in the bacteria in the mouth feed on which cause cavities. Limiting sugar intake prevents cavities in general.
"Within that dental plaque, which is the stickiness that we find on our teeth, that harbors millions of bacteria, and then the bacteria eat the sugar, then give off acid and that dissolves holes in the teeth," Parco said. "That's the process of how a cavity works."
Parco said its important that kids brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day and floss. If they're under the age of age, a parents should supervise. He also recommends children see a dentist at least every six months.
“To eat a little bit of sugar is part of the (Easter) celebration, but we need to make sure that we're keeping close tabs and that it's not too much," Parco said.
TTUHSC of El Paso has a Dental Oral Health Clinic and is accepting patients. To learn more, click here.
