How raisins can ruin your teeth

You may want to think twice about giving your children raisins, a dentist has suggested.

While acknowledged to be nutritionally and developmentally beneficial, even healthy food items can adversely affect a child's dental health and cause severe problems in later life, the Mirror reported.

Saara Sabir, a practising dentist and mum-of-one from Salford, said that the most serious culprit of tooth decay was raisins and dried fruit, adding that many parents think they're a good option because they're packed with vitamins, but the concentrated sugar content in dried fruit is extremely detrimental to a child's teeth.

She noted that a small packet of raisins has around 8 teaspoons worth of sugar in. As per the NHS, the recommended daily sugar allowance for children aged four to six years-old is no more than five sugar cubes. For children aged seven to ten, it is no more than six.

The reason dried fruit poses a particular danger is also because of its consistency. Saara continues that raisins are sticky and get stuck in teeth. Therefore the bacteria have a prolonged source of sugar, so it can cause decay for a longer period of time.

She, however, said that because of the nutritional value, it's better to give your child raisins as a dessert or part of a meal rather than a snack.