Millions Of Aussies Missing Teeth Due To Sugar Rotting

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Three million Australians are missing as many as a third of their teeth according to new research released by the Australian Dental Association.

The average adult should have 32 teeth, but some are living with as few as 21.

The cause has been linked to the spike in sugar consumption, with teeth simply decaying and rotting away.

This comes as the recommended sugar intake should be at most six teaspoons per day, with the average Australian consuming a whopping 14 teaspoons a day.

Julie Satur, Professor of Oral Health at the University of Melbourne, has said that the problem runs deeper.

"When we have an infection or a problem in one part of our body, it impacts on the rest of our health," she said.

"It could be heart disease, diabetes, low birth weights and nutrition and general health.

"The increase in sugar consumption over time has created a significant problem in terms of tooth decay - certainly the prevalence of it is not getting better. It is getting worse, and we're becoming less and less able to deal with it.

According to the Dietician's Association's Tania Ferraretto, it is easy to go over the recommended six teaspoons a day even if you're not eating anything sweet.

"Drinks are very sweet and they don't fill you up, so you can have a huge quantity of sugar in a small volume of liquid," she said.

"Without a doubt, we should be drinking water and not sweet drinks because they have a massive impact on our dental health.

Medicare coverage is available for children, with items such as x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings and extractions covered, with some dental cover offered up to a value of $1000.

It is recommended that an annual dentist visit should be booked for adults as well, to assist in curbing the impact of decay.

16 August 2018




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