Brushing only partly protects children's teeth against sugary treats

A new study by Edinburgh University has found that brushing only partly protects children's teeth against sugary treats.

Researchers found children who snack all day – compared with just eating meals – are far more likely to have dental decay.

Snacking was the factor most strongly associated with decay, with children who snack all day without eating meals having twice the chance of decay compared with those who did not snack at all.

The study also shows relying on tooth brushing alone to ward off dental decay in children under five is not enough.

The research was based on a sample of nearly 4,000 pre-school kids.

Lead researcher Dr Valeria Skafida, said: “Even with targeted policies that specifically aim to reduce inequalities in children’s dental decay it remains an ongoing challenge to reduce social patterning in dental health outcomes."

Study co-author, Dr Stephanie Chambers, of the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at University of Glasgow said: “Among children eating sweets or chocolate once a day or more, tooth brushing more often – once or twice a day or more - reduced the likelihood of decay compared with less frequent brushing.