Why Are You Telling Kids They Have Sugar Bugs?

Today I ran out of toothpaste and grabbed my 10 year old's to use. I forgot it was flavored, so it surprised me when it turned out to be bubble gum in my mouth instead of mint. This immediately sent my mind back to sitting in my kid's dentist office, and like a movie, the words "sugar bugs" coming from the mouths of multiple faces flashing in and out of the screen, repeating it over and over and over again. All of a sudden, mid-brush and full of toothpaste foam, I said, What the heck?

Why are dentists calling germs, bacteria, tartar, cavities, etc., sugar bugs to kids? Working in the nutrition field, where language around food, sugar, carbs, fat, body, etc. is so important and can be very damaging if used thoughtlessly and insensitively, I asked myself what kids could be thinking, assuming, and/or believing from this inappropriate diet culture term?

'Sugar bugs are bad.'

'They must be if the dentist says I have them and that is why I am here.'

'If they are bad, then sugar is bad.'

'If sugar is bad, then it is unhealthy.'

'I am bad, doing something wrong, and unhealthy for eating sugar.'

'I should not eat sugar.'

If someone told me I had bugs in my mouth, I would freak out! I understand the concept of reducing the stress, anxiety, and fear kids have at the dentist. But this language is adding another layer of diet culture misinformation and may be causing harm to our kids that we don't even know, hear, or see. This could be one way our kids' relationship with food starts to change. The subtext messages coming from people of authority (who may not even realize how these words are affecting kids) could be setting our kids up for disordered eating, poor relationships with food, restriction, or diets focusing on extreme changes, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and improper growth.

As all these thoughts came rushing through my brain, I continued to go down the rabbit hole. If sugar is so bad (not true by the way) why are our kids use sweet-tasting toothpaste? Easy enough, the mint flavor is too strong. But now our kids are thinking sugar is bad (coming from a professional), and we might get bugs from sugar, but our parents are letting us 'cheat' with this tasty, sweet toothpaste, even though the dentist does not want us to have sugar. Can we say confusing or what?

To be clear, flavored toothpaste does not contain sugar. It does contain non-sugar sweeteners like sorbitol, xylitol, saccharin, and stevia to make them more appealing to kids and increase their chance of wanting to and actually brushing their teeth. What a great marketing scheme. I have to say, it works.

Let's help kids understand the importance of brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash, and call germs, bacteria, tartar, and cavities what they are. Then teach them about how sugar can affect their oral hygiene if left sitting on their teeth (not by eating it) and how drinking some water or eating fruits, veggies, or nuts after a sweetened item helps remove excess sugar particles on their teeth and in their mouth to maintain their oral hygiene. Easy. Simple. Clear. No food fear, guilt, shame, stress, or anxiety.

A win in my dietitian book fighting against diet culture.