DT News - UK - Diet and status are to blame for tooth decay in children

Dental Tribune UK

Fri. 19 January 2018

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EDINBURGH & GLASGOW, UK: Brushing twice a day is usually considered the most effective measure to maintain oral health in children. New research in under-5-year-olds by the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow has now suggested, however, that it may not be enough to stop dental caries at an early age.

The reason for this, the researchers said, is most likely to be found in dietary habits. Their analysis of data from the Growing Up in Scotland study, a survey following children from infancy through to their teens, showed that those who regularly snacked were at significantly greater risk of developing caries compared with those who did not snack and ate regular meals.

Risk also increased in relation to socio-economic status, with those children having parents who were unemployed being more likely to have caries.

The research, which was supported by the Scottish government, included data from 4,000 preschool children. Reflecting on the results, the researchers said that the study shows that lifestyle changes like reducing sugar intake are as important as toothbrushing for reducing decay. Strategies to help teach children in less-well-off households proper oral hygiene when they are young also need to be addressed, they added.

“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,” said lead researcher Dr Valeria Skafida of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science.

According to the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey, conducted in 2014, children in the UK consume twice as much sugar as the recommended limit. Simultaneously, a record number of children are having teeth extracted at hospitals every year.

“It is clear that tooth brushing with a fluoride toothpaste alone is not the magic wand that many people still believe it to be and preventing tooth decay also has to involve changing diet and lifestyle,” commented Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation Dr Nigel Carter, OBE. “Almost every single one of these operations, and the pain and suffering associated with them, could have been prevented with effective behaviour changes to help protect children’s oral health.”

The study, titled “Positive association between sugar consumption and dental decay prevalence independent of oral hygiene in pre-school children: A longitudinal prospective study”, was published online on 29 December 2017 in the Journal of Public Health.

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