According to the poll of over 1,000 parents, while fear and not feeling well are among the most common excuses for not going to the dentist, some kids are getting very creative with their excuses.
"There's a ghost in the treatment room", "If I leave the house the witches will get me", "I thought the tooth fairy did it and "It makes my teeth itchy" were some of the strangest excuses children came up with to avoid sitting in the dentist's chair.
Children are getting creative with their excuses not to go to the dentist
The research also shows that over half (57%) of children have fillings. An interesting north/south divide occurred with children in South East England standing at almost 10 percentage points higher (63%) than those in Northern England (54%) for having fillings.
These numbers are high across the board, with the majority of children with fillings averaging at two fillings (42%).
Zesty professionals emphasise to parents the importance of regular dental check-ups and how making dental hygiene fun from a young age can potentially rid people of on-going fear.
Helping children look after their teeth - Zesty's top tips:
• Start brushing your child's teeth as soon as their first one has broken through their gums.
• Ensure children use a toothpaste with fluoride - it will help prevent tooth decay. The NHS says it is fine for children to use a toothpaste with 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride in, as long as they are supervised during brushing to make sure they don't swallow it.
• Make brushing fun! A sticker chart is a great way to encourage your child to brush every morning and evening, and special kids' toothpaste in fun colours and flavours can encourage them to brush.
• Limit sugary foods and drinks to four times a day, advises the British Dental Health Foundation, so they are only consumed at mealtimes and once a day as a snack.
• Don't give kids anything sugary last thing at night (including medicines containing sugar, which, if possible, should be taken at mealtimes instead).
Tagged in Teeth Parenting children Dental Health children's health dentist