children should be taught to look after their teeth more
When it comes to asking parents for sweets, children are more likely to go to their dads as they give into them more than women do, research shows.
According to the Smiles Ahead study carried out by the Department of Health, designed to promote healthy teeth, a higher proportion of men (20 per cent) than women (18 per cent) are more likely to give their children sweets each day.
They also found that 40 per cent of children eat high sugar snacks at least once a week, and 75 per cent of children had visited a dentist in the past 12 months.
Of the 1,054 people surveyed, parents are more likely to recognise the importance of encouraging their children to brush their teeth at least twice a day than grandparents.
Chief Dental Officer, Barry Cockcroft offered the following advice to promote healthy teeth amongst children.
“All children enjoy sweet treats occasionally and it is natural for parents to sometimes use them to reward good behaviour."
"However, sugary food and drink is the only cause of tooth decay, so it is important that parents do keep these treats to a minimum."
"Parents should also be teaching their children about good teeth and oral care from a young age, so that this becomes part of their child’s daily routine,” he said.