Dubai : Stress and neglect are wreaking havoc on children's oral health, an expert has warned.
Such children often fall victim to bruxism (teeth grinding) and thumb sucking as an escape from worries, Dr Sameer Kumar, Assistant Director of Administration, GMC Super Speciality Dental Centre, Ajman, said. These ‘bad habits' are taking a heavy toll on their teeth, he said.
Grinding of teeth eventually destroys them and prevents proper jaw development, while sucking the thumb leads to crooked teeth and deformed jawlines as well.
Parental pressure
Such cases have shot up by 15 to 20 per cent among children in the UAE over the past five years, he added. "It's stress — there's non-stop parental and peer pressure to perform, whether it's homework, classwork, swimming, playtime — even at summer camps," Dr Kumar said. Also, most parents are working couples who leave children with nannies at home or at daycare centres, he added.
"Kids often feel insecure this way and can't stop sucking their thumb as a comfort thing."
Parents also leave feeding bottles or pacifiers in children's mouths at night, often coating the tips with sweet food, Dr Kumar said. "This gives bacteria a field day. It's a recipe for total tooth decay."
Poor diet and hygiene are exacerbating the problem, he added.
"What do schools give for breakfast? Juice and croissant. It's all sugary stuff. We've forgotten about rinsing the mouth after meals. Teeth don't get cleaned by themselves." Dr Kumar said parents can seek medical help with "habit breakers", devices that are placed in the mouth and act like barriers or ‘curtains' for bruxism or thumb-sucking. Other stoppers include putting a bad-tasting chemical on the thumb. Children must receive their first dental check-up by the age of seven.
