UK parents top for restricting children’s sugar levels

Parents in the UK are best at limiting their children’s intake of sugary food and drinks.

This is according to a YouGov survey of ten countries commissioned by FDI World Dental Federation (FDI).

The report found that UK parents are top for proactively limiting the amount of sugar in their children’s diet, with 52% of respondents agreeing.

In comparison, Sweden came in second with 44% and Australia third at 41%.

The US, however, placed second last with only 32% of parents indicating restrictions.

Today marks World Oral Health Day (WOHD), a global initiative kicked off by FDI to spread messages and raise awareness of good oral hygiene.

This year, the campaign – Unite for Mouth Health – is focusing on positive and lasting mouth care.

Dr Gerhard K. Seeberger, president of FDI, said: ‘Oral disease is a big part of a largely preventable disease burden.

‘These survey results demonstrate that we’re just not doing enough to avoid oral health problems at an early age.’

Dental check ups

Additionally, parents in the UK were top for taking their children for a yearly dental check up.

The survey found that 63% responded positively – a figure significantly higher than Argentina that came in second at 47%.

The US came in lower, with 41% of parents taking their children to the dentist annually.

The survey question more than 11,500 adults across the UK, US, Argentina, Australia, China, Egypt, France, Morocco, Philippines and Sweden.

Dr Seeberger added: ‘The oral health profession has largely existed as a separate specialty divorced from medicine and medicine’s education system.

‘However, the intense debate around sugar over the past few years only illustrates the fallacy of working in silos.

‘It is simply unproductive to be discussing sugary drinks and their link to the obesity epidemic without factoring in the obvious impact they have on the oral health of children.’