The Impact of Children's Obesity on Oral Health

Karimi, M., D.M.D., B.S.

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Sepideh Dental Clinic, Iran

*Correspondence to: Dr. Karimi, M., Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Sepideh Dental Clinic, Iran.

Copyright © 2019 Dr. Karimi, M. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Today, overweight is one of the main concerns of parents. For this reason, they try to reduce consumptions of harmful snacks in their children by limiting the sugary drinks, carbonated drinks, and even fast food and junk foods. In the meantime, researchers have argued that the issue of oral and dental hygiene should be taken into consideration in priority.

Does diet have an effect on oral health in children?

To answer this question, they should understand the relationship between the bad habit of food diet and children's oral health. By having a proper diet and observing oral hygiene along with that, these factors will increase self-esteem, better relationships with friends, and on the other hand, reduces emotional problems in children. But parents who try to change their children's diet suddenly should be advised and warned this task will be very difficult and frustrating because they should have educated the child from childhood to eat less so that their children do not suffer from both the overweight and dental problems now.

There is a direct correlation between poor oral health and the increase in body mass index, which increases the number of fats in the body. In fact, weight is a critical and very sensitive issue; therefore, it should not be looked at only from the perspective of nutritional and eating behaviors, but from different angles, including oral health.

Children or even adults who are overweight than their normal age are more likely to develop oral and dental problems; even 6 times more likely to develop periodontal diseases. Studies had shown that those whose BMI represents obesity were more likely to be exposed to a dental disease, gum infections, and periodontal diseases. Even the amount of white blood cells and reactive proteins, which is an indicator of inflammation in the blood, had been higher in the overweight people.

Often, the word "obesity'' does not merely lead to oral and dental illnesses, but a misleading diet and unhealthy eating habits that will affect the mouth. Obesity itself causes inflammation and the same inflammation in the body is associated with gum disease. The Inflammation caused by obesity disrupts the immune system. For example, periodontal disease is an infectious disease which is caused by a weakened immune system. Because in obese children or adults the agents' bacteria that cause gum diseases and tooth decay, are most seen.

Usually, after a periodontal disease that affects the gums and leads to tooth loss, it can also be associated with clinical problems and may increase the risk of heart attacks. In other words, functions of all parts of the body are related to each other; each member that is damaged can negatively affect one another. Then, by taking care of children's weight, parents can ensure their beauty and health of the gums and the teeth.