The image of a baby given sweet milk in his bottle to help put him to sleep would give any dentist reason to shudder. But as we reported yesterday, here in the UAE this is actually standard practice for many parents.
In fact, babies as young as one year old have been treated for tooth decay caused by poor dental hygiene and bad diet. Sucking down cans of sugary drink, it turns out, is not only bad for the figure - it's also murder on the enamel.
For many in the developed and developing world, oral hygiene is often an after thought. That's why educators and health professionals here must do more to educate parents about proper care of teeth. Mandatory health courses in schools, long debated and demanded by health professionals and FNC members, might be in order.
And because health insurance does not always include dental treatment, there is also a financial aspect that must be addressed.
It's funny how some parents don't make the link between poor diet and tooth loss. But there's nothing funny about a toothless grin. So perhaps its time to give the dental profession a bit more credit, and go pay them a visit.
