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Overweight children aren’t at a higher risk for developing dental problems, according to a new study.
A group of Chinese researchers determined that other factors, not being overweight, cause dental problems. There are many other factors could result in poor dental health.
To compile the data, 280 children, ages 7 through 12, were studied. Roughly 38 percent of these children were overweight, including 32 percent of the girls and 42 percent of the boys. About 84 percent of the children had at least one dental issue in their lifetime.
There were an average of three fillings, decayed teeth or missing teeth per child. The results indicated that being overweight didn’t necessarily result in any extra problems when compared to average-weight children.
The study also indicated that children who consumed yogurt three or four times each week were less inclined to have problems like tooth decay. Chewing gum was actually proven to lower a child’s chances of developing cavities. There also appeared to be some genetic connection, with children whose parents had tooth decay developing tooth decay themselves. For children whose parents didn’t have problems with tooth decay, the study found they didn’t usually develop tooth decay.
The best ways to prevent tooth decay in children are to take the child the dentist regularly and for parents to monitor their child’s eating habits.
