There's not much that's sweet about tooth decay.
Whether or not taxes are an appropriate way to combat health problems, we should all police our own families and ourselves.
LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) April 18, 2018
An April 8 opinion piece in The Guardian attacks criticism of a sugar tax that has become controversial in the United Kingdom. The op-ed notes that the tax is part of the nation’s earnest efforts to deal with its longstanding dental issues, as well as increasing obesity. Dr. Farzad Feiz of California Dental Group and Calabasas Dental Care says that – whether or not taxes are an appropriate way to combat health problems – we should all police our own families and ourselves to stave off the excessive consumption of sugary foods that can cause tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and, in extreme cases, the loss of one or more teeth.
The reasons for the human love of sweet flavors undoubtedly go back to the earliest days of our species, when food was scarce and finding the highest calorie foodstuffs could mean the difference between life and death, says Dr. Feiz. It was also true that most prehistoric people likely passed away well before too many teeth had begun to fall out. However, now that more people are living longer than ever before, and with cheap sugary food in seemingly endless supply, our addiction to sweet flavors is causing millions of people to outlive their teeth, says the dentist. He notes that, while a dental implant can stave off even the most serious impacts of losing teeth, such as bone less, prevention is always by far the best answer to any kind of health matter.
Dr. Feiz notes that, while sugar substitutes certainly pose less of a threat to teeth – and chewing gum with artificial sweeteners can actually be beneficial -- there is no magic cure for loving sweets too much. He says that, as people who are trying to lose weight find out only too often, will power can only go so far in terms of being able to ignore that box of caramels that shows up at the office or resisting the temptation to give in to a child’s insistence on only drinking juices and sugary sodas, says Dr. Feiz. The best most people can probably do is to try eating foods that are less harmful. He points out that apples can be deliciously sweet and can actually help to clean teeth…though the fructose in them is still of concern. Of course, the most important thing is that families make sure that everyone is brushing for at least two minutes twice a day to reduce dental plaque and everyone – including the smallest children -- get twice annual teeth cleanings to remove the materials that toothbrushes typically miss, says Dr. Feiz.
Los Angeles area readers who are interested in getting proactive about taking care of their family’s oral health may contact California Dental Group at (310) 955-4008 or Calabasas Dental Care at (818) 660-0731. Dr. Farzad Feiz’s web site is at http://www.FeizDental.com.