Cutting back on snacks a great way to protect children’s teeth

A group of dentists behind the award-winning oral health innovation Brushlink have welcomed the advice from PHE but also state that such a reduction in snacking will also be of benefit to the health of children’s teeth. Tooth decay is the leading medical reason for young people in the UK being admitted to hospital.

“According to the PHE report children eat an average of 3.4 snacks a day,” said Dev Patel, CEO and founder of Brushlink and a practising dentist, “On average, over a year a child will consume 400 biscuits, 120 cakes, buns and pastries, 100 portions of sweets, 70 chocolate bars and ice creams, all washed down with 150 fizzy drinks. Not only is the high sugar content of these foods bad for teeth, but so is the habit of snacking.”

Snacking outside of meal times means that acid levels in the mouth are kept at a comparatively constant high level, contributing to tooth erosion and ultimately decay and gum disease. Recent research from King’s College London Dental Institute also showed that the longer you take to eat or drink acidic foods, the higher the rate of sensitive teeth.