Sensible mum’s sushi shock
Saraid Thompson thought she was doing everything right to prevent her children’s teeth from rotting.
She steered them clear of fruit juice, soft drinks and sugary foods.
The Auckland mum-of-four said she was vigilant about making sure all her kids brushed their teeth after every meal.
And it seemed to be working. Her first three children had no issues with their teeth.
Then, when her youngest Harry was 6 years old, he had to get two rotting teeth surgically removed. “It was really horrible.
“He was really scared . . remember feeling really embarrassed, like I had failed my son.”
Yet, to the best of her knowledge, Harry had a reasonably healthy diet and good dental hygiene. . I
When Thompson found out about the link between refined starches and dental decay from the Growing Up in New Zealand study it immediately made sense.
Though Harry didn’t consume a lot of sugar, he was a “massive sushi fan” and ate a lot of white rice and rice crackers.
She said he would have sushi at least three times a week and would often have more rice for dinner.
Thompson said if she had known she would have made more effort to opt for brown rice instead of white rice and been wary of how much refined starches her children were consuming.
“I think it’s really important that parents have as much information as possible so that choices are available and we know how to best protect our children.”