News

Parents found ignorant on children's dental care

More than one in five young children are being left to brush their teeth unsupervised, according to the National Dental Survey 2008.

The survey, in which the British Dental Health Foundation and dentalproducts maker Oral B interviewed 1,000 people in ten UK cities duringApril, found that 20 per cent of children were brushing unsupervised,and parents seemed to have little idea about what made good oral healthfor children.

A quarter of the parents believed that children did not need to brushtwice a day and 23 per cent thought there was no need for them to avoidfizzy drinks.

Over two-thirds also believed that dentists recommend brushing for oneminute rather than the optimum two minutes.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental HealthFoundation,said, 'These results really are very worrying and helpexplain why around half of children under the age of five currently havetooth decay in the UK.'

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here