Take two

Of those more than a third (37 per cent) have had fillings, a quarter (26 per cent) needed at least one crown whilst a third (35 per cent) needed gum disease treatment. By the age of nine, the survey found that nearly a third of children (29 per cent) have had one of these treatments.

A fifth of children aged two to five only have their teeth brushed once a day, and over a quarter (26 per cent) regularly go at least one day a week without having their teeth brushed. Only 57 per cent of parents could confidently say that their child never goes a day without cleaning their teeth. Brushing habits appear to get better as children get older with 18 per cent of children aged eight to 11 going one day a week without brushing their teeth.

The report also found that the typical parent with a five year old supervises teeth brushing for just 67 seconds per day. Only seven per cent of parents manage the recommended two minutes twice a day even though 69 per cent of parents knew that children need to brush their teeth for two minutes.