Norfolk dentist calls for stronger warnings around sugar to protect kids teeth
Nearly 1 in 4 children skip brushing altogether because they forget or get distracted- according to a national poll
A dentist in Norfolk is telling us better advertising of oral health products and stronger warnings about consuming too much sugar is needed to improve dental health.
It's as a national survey shows that nearly a quarter of all children often skip brushing their teeth altogether- because they either forget or get distracted.
"We know about the impacts this can have on their quality of life"
Dr Andy Bell works in Gorleston and is also Vice-Chair of Norfolk's Local dental committee:
"You need to brush your teeth twice a day, at least before bed and another time of the day. The reason it's important to do it before bed is because you produce less saliva when you're asleep, which helps protect your teeth and then also reduces the effect of sugary hits throughout the day.
"Within high-street dentistry you could have things in a new NHS contract such as, a portion of your funding goes towards going out to schools, screening kids and delivering oral health prevention lessons.
"We know from all the recent studies that there are areas which are very deprived, that have 1 in 3 five-year-olds who are suffering with dental decay.
"We know about the impacts this can have on their quality of life and education, both now and in the future".
The research in detail:
A poll from Ordo and the Dental Wellness Trust of 1,000 parents across the UK found that:
-52% of parents highlight everyday hassles as the primary reason their children skip brushing their teeth.
- Nearly 1 in 4 children skip brushing altogether because they forget or get distracted, exposing just how fragile a child’s oral care routine can be.
- 21% say the entire dental education system is “inadequate”, and 8% believe oral health is simply overshadowed by bigger health issues, suggesting many feel their concerns go unheard.
- 10% of parents rarely brush with their children, despite experts warning that kids who never see proper technique at home are far more likely to develop serious decay.
- According to the Government, 1 in 3 children in the most deprived areas already suffers from tooth decay by age 5, a stark reminder of how deeply oral health inequalities run.
What's the Government doing to tackle this?
The Government says they're rolling out a supervised toothbrushing programme for 3 to 5 year old, to tackle dental decay.
More details on this can be found, here.