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Fast-paced lifestyle eroding
teens' teeth
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Teens in the
21st Century
- 1 in 7 American
children are overweight, weighing
at or above the 95th percentile
of the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention's growth charts.
- Overweight adolescents
have a 70 percent chance of becoming
overweight or obese adults.
- Overweight adolescents
are at increased risk of hypertension
and elevated cholesterol leading
to heart disease; type II diabetes;
osteoporosis and erosion of tooth
enamel.
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Adolescence is the time of peak
bone growth, a time when more nutrient-packed
calories are essential to fuel growing bodies
and strengthen teeth and bones; however, with
our current lifestyles, adolescence is when soda
and sugary, high-carbohydrate foods displace healthy
foods such as milk, fruits and vegetables.
As a result, a generation may
be left with permanent damage to oral and overall
health.
"Premature loss of tooth
enamel and weakening of overall tooth structure
are two devastating oral effects of teens' poor
diet that cannot be reversed later in life,"
explains Jane Soxman, DDS, author of a study that
ran in the Academy of General Dentistry's journal.
The phosphoric, citric, tartaric
and/or carbonic acid in soda is now linked to
breaking down the tooth enamel around dental sealants
and restorations, further compromising teens'
teeth and leading to more extensive dental treatment
to prevent total tooth loss.
Phosphoric acid also limits calcium
absorption and has a direct influence on bone
density. This is especially critical for young
girls. By age 16, teenage girls have accumulated
90 to 97 percent of their bone mass, making adequate
calcium intake vital. However, national statistics
show only 19 percent of girls ages 9 to 19 are
getting the recommended dietary allowance (RDA)
of 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day.
New research also confirms a direct
link between soft drink consumption and bone fractures
in teenage girls.
"These girls are at an extreme
risk for developing osteoporosis, already exhibiting
symptoms of this disease in their teen years,"
says Dr. Soxman. "Early education on the
importance of calcium consumption is key to reversing
this trend."
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Fluoride = Healthy Teeth
Try this quick and inexpensive
at-home treatment: Before bed, rub toothpaste
containing fluoride along the gum line and
leave it to soak in the gum line while sleeping.
This is a great, inexpensive tip to ensure
teeth get the fluoride they need.
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Information courtesy of the
Academy of General Dentistry.
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