LONDON, UK: With Britain still recovering from its longest heatwave in five years, parents may be tempted to help keep their children cool by giving them ice cream, soft drinks and other cold treats. The British Dental Association has urged restraint in this regard, as new figures show that more than half of children in the UK are consuming at least twice their recommended daily sugar intake during the summer school break.
A survey of 1,000 parents with children aged between 2 and 17, conducted by dental care provider mydentist, found that sugar intake increases greatly in the summertime. Almost a quarter of responding parents estimated that they gave their children twice as much sugar over summer compared with other times of the year. A further 15.6 per cent said that they gave their children three times as much sugar, with another 11.5 per cent stating that their children were consuming more than five times as much sugar.
Four out of five parents expressed concern about the increased sugar intake of their children over summer. However, around 25 per cent stated that they either lack the time to take their children to the dentist for a free check-up during this period, or they do not see it as a priority.
“It is tempting to beat the heat with soft drinks and ice cream, but parents must recognise the damage these sugar-laced confections can do,” said Dr Russ Ladwa, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Health and Science Committee.
“Tooth decay is now a wholly preventable epidemic, and the number one reason a child will be admitted to hospital. Yes, we need parents to take responsibility over what they buy, but ministers also need to force industry to change the way they formulate and market these products,” he asserted.
“Added sugar is cheap, addictive and nutrient free. Ultimately if you want to keep the kids cool and hydrated, reach for the water,” suggested Ladwa.
Tooth extraction is the most common reason for hospital admission in the UK for 5- to 9-year-olds. A child in England has a tooth removed in hospital every 10 minutes and, according to NHS data, around one-quarter of 5-year-olds suffer from dental caries.
Tags:
RUGBY, UK: Though the April 2018 introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy—otherwise known as the sugar tax—has proved effective in reducing the ...
LONDON, UK: Though it is quite evident that dentistry, as a whole, has been greatly affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the specific ways in which ...
LONDON, UK: The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF) is a not-for-profit organisation formed by a group of dental professionals. According to the ACFF, ...
LONDON, UK: The negative impact that excess sugar consumption has on both oral and overall health is a well-established fact at this point. It comes as ...
LONDON, UK/WASHINGTON, US: Dental Protection, the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals, has recently...
LONDON, UK: New doubt has been cast on the future of NHS dental care, as a recent survey issued by the British Dental Association (BDA) has found that the ...
LONDON, UK: The look of their teeth is of great importance to British men. More than a quarter would choose to have their teeth straightened if they could, ...
The sugar tax is finally upon us, but are corner shops or supermarkets for that matter likely to worry about this potentially threatening change to their ...
LONDON, UK: Various organisations have undertaken to evaluate the quality of life of UK dental students during recent years, and particularly as students ...
LONDON – The results of a recently published online survey indicate that more dental professionals practising in the UK are optimistic rather than ...
Live webinar
Fri. 19 July 2024
1:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Tue. 6 August 2024
11:00 pm UTC (London)
Live webinar
Wed. 14 August 2024
12:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Wed. 21 August 2024
2:00 pm UTC (London)
Dr. Jim Lai DMD, MSc(Perio), EdD, FRCD(C)
Live webinar
Thu. 29 August 2024
1:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Mon. 2 September 2024
10:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Tue. 3 September 2024
4:00 pm UTC (London)
To post a reply please login or register