To think the dentist is unreasonable about sugar?

[Yamyoid]

Ds had a check up at the dentist recently and she asked he often he has sweet things. I replied that he usually only has sweets once a week, thinking she meant really sugary stuff like that and she seemed pleased. I then said, off-hand, that he doesn't have anything sugary in the evening after tea during the week, but will have treats/puddings at the weekend, or biscuits as snacks etc. She said this is no good. He shouldn't have ANYTHING sugary apart from on one day. Then everything on that day. I argued that this isn't possible. For a start he has school dinners 3 times a week when they have puddings. Breakfast cereals, yogurts, cereal bars, all sugary. Am I not supposed to give him anything other than fruit in his packed lunch for pudding?

I think it's completely unrealistic to expect a young child to avoid all things sugary 6 days a week. Ds has a good diet and healthy teeth. Aibu or is the dentist?

YANBU. The advice I tend to give is this....

if you brush your / your kids teeth properly 2x a day, they will cope with up to 5 episodes of eating something sugary or acidic a day. Provided those sugary things are chewed and swallowed straight away. So that allows for 3 meals and 2 snacks.

The trouble is things that do not just disappear, so sucky sweets, sticky things (like raisins), things that are sipped (any drinks except milk, water and unsweetened tea and coffee) and things that are nibbled over the course of a prolonged period of time.

If you can further limit sugary and acidic things to meal times only, that would be even better. I always recommend something fatty or protein based as snacks, they keep you satisfied for longer anyway. Cheese, meat, crisps.

I had a hygienist tell me that, if I had to drink Diet Coke (sugar-free, but acidic) when I was working late, I should at least use a straw so none gets on my teeth on the way down.

DH's dad is a dentist so I've had a chance to observe him in his natural habitat. Apparently the trick is to never eat chocolate or sweets mst of the time. The occasionally (two or three times a year) go overboard. A full box of chocolates, a full pack of digestive biscuits :o DS does this too. He does regularly have dessert - crumble, apple pie & custard etc. DH's teeth are fine (well apart from one that got knocked out when he came off his bike) and I'm sure his brothers' are too.