Foodservice Footprint Insight Cut out sugar to save children’s teeth, parents told Grocery sector news updates Out of Home sector news  news-email

Cut out sugar to save children’s teeth, parents told

Parents have been urged to limit their children’s consumption of sugary food and drinks to prevent tooth decay.

The advice came as Public Health England (PHE) unveiled data that showed a fall in the level of children suffering from tooth decay of 5% since 2008. In 2008, 31% of five year olds suffered from tooth decay, a figure that dropped to 27% in 2012.

The data showed significant regional variations with a third of five year olds in the North West suffering from tooth decay compared with only a fifth in the South East. It also revealed a strong correlation between higher levels of deprivation and higher levels of tooth decay.

“Limiting sugary food and drink, supporting children to brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and regular trips to the dentist, will help prevent a great many more children suffering at the hands of tooth decay,” said Dr Sandra White, director of dental public health at PHE.

In a paper published alongside the survey, PHE said that sugar taxation and healthier eating initiatives in schools were examples of public policies that could improve oral health in children.