Children’s poor oral hygiene revealed in poll

One in five children in the South East have gone without brushing their teeth for more than a day, a survey has shown.
Health news. Photo: ShutterstockHealth news. Photo: Shutterstock
Health news. Photo: Shutterstock

Dental health insurer Denplan surveyed more than 2,000 parents of children aged two to 11 in the region.

A spokesman said one in five children had gone more than a day without brushing their teeth. A further 15 per cent skipped it for two or more days in a row.

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Three in four parents said their children brushed their teeth for less than two minutes each time.

Roger Matthews, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan, said: “It is clear that whilst parents have the best of intentions with their children’s dental health, it can be difficult to keep up good habits amongst a backdrop of sugary treats and children’s reluctance to listen to advice.

“There are several techniques parents can adopt including brushing alongside their children or brushing to music. The most important step however is to keep them interested for long enough to reach the vital two minute brushing time and engage them in the importance of cleaning their teeth as soon as their first milk teeth appear. Good habits last a lifetime.”

A spokesman for Denplan said it was worrying only 59 per cent of parents rated their children’s oral health routine as good.

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The survey also showed a fifth of children had a tantrum to avoid the brushing their teeth.

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