385 - Healthy Beverage Choices: Dietary Counseling for Pediatric Dental Patients and Families

Purpose: The aim of this study was to both identify current knowledge of healthy beverage recommendations and to educate dental patients and families about healthy beverage choices by reviewing the daily recommended intake amount of juice and other sugar containing beverages developed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Methods: A questionnaire was given to families in person at the dental visit. The questionnaire consisted of both open-ended and multiple-choice questions to determine their existing knowledge of healthy beverage choices and their understanding of the recommended intake amount of sugar and sugar containing beverages. At the completion of the survey, beverage recommendations according to the AAPD were reviewed with the families to help encourage healthy beverage consumption patterns.

Results: Although the AAPD, AHA and AAP have distinct nutritional recommendations for children and adolescents it is apparent from the study that parents have introduced juice and other sugar sweetened beverages earlier than recommended (before age one). On the contrary, the perception of the healthiest beverage was water which is in line with the recommendations.

Conclusions: Children are consuming sugar sweetened beverages earlier than the recommendations by AAPD, AHA, and AAP.
Promoting and educating healthy beverage choices (and other nutritional choices) is a necessary part of early education of dental patients.