dental problems research

Millions of British parents could be putting their children’s health at risk by not knowing the facts about kids’ dental care, according to research.

A quarter of adults don’t think it matters if their kids develop cavities in their baby teeth, and admit to a lack of knowledge about oral health in children.

And nearly a third of parents in the UK wait until their children have all their milk teeth before taking them to the dentist for the first time, according to the study of 1,000 parents with kids under 13.

“It is essential that parents regularly take their children to the dentist as soon as their baby has their first tooth or turns one – whichever is sooner.

More than half of parents in the UK stop helping their children brush their teeth too early, and two thirds had no idea what kind of toothbrush their child should be using.

Parents also admit to confusion over fluoride in toothpaste, with half saying they don’t check or wouldn’t know how much should be in their toothpaste.

One in 10 parents would happily give their child a drink of fruit juice after brushing their teeth and before going to bed.

And almost a third would happily give their young ones a glass of milk before bed, which is now understood to be a cause of tooth decay due to the natural sugars it contains – especially after teeth-brushing time.

“more than 9,000 tooth extractions were performed in hospitals in England on children aged one to four throughout 2015 and 2016”.