Parents are being urged to stop toddlers drinking milk throughout the night because it's damaging their teeth.

The advice comes as hundreds of people responding to a survey failed to recognise the harm milk can cause.

In fact it's the lactose - a type of sugar - that's found in cow’s milk, breast milk and in many baby formulas that puts children at risk of developing tooth decay.

Number 15 in a list of 20 myths, facts and stats relating to children's teeth, produced by DentaVox, states: "This risk is increased during the night as when we sleep we produce less saliva to protect us against cavities. A good alternative to milk during sleepless nights would be water."

It's not the first time we've highlighted the issue. Back in 2017 we reported a Salford dentist was urging parents to ditch the baby bottles before children reach the age of one to help prevent tooth decay.

Adlyn Burton, a dental hygienist and therapist with Love The Dentist, has seen children as young as three needing extractions and fillings because of holes in their teeth.

And she said letting children continue to use baby bottles for milk after the age of one is a main factor in causing tooth decay - particularly if they are being allowed to fall asleep with them at night.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

She told the M.E.N's Manchester Family : "Baby bottles are for milk only, up to the age of one.

"Juices, sugary drinks and tea should not be given in a baby bottle - particularly a toddler should not be allowed to fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth as this can contribute to tooth decay.

"The baby may use the bottle as a comforter and they suckle on it all through the night and their teeth are then bathed in sugar which softens the enamel and leads to tooth decay."

Adlyn shared a number of tips for helping to prevent tooth decay, including brushing twice a day once teeth come through - whether bottle or breast fed, brushing with a soft bristle brush and introducing a cup to drink from.

Another of DentaVox's list of myths, facts and stats relates to dried fruit - with a third of parents mistaking it as a healthy snack for little one's teeth, when in fact 'dried fruits are very concentrated in fruit sugar and their stickiness allows them to cling to the teeth for a longer time, creating perfect conditions for the decay-causing bacteria to feed on'.

The full list includes:

1. Children’s first dental visit should be at the age of 3-4 years: MYTH

In fact, your child should visit the dentist for the first time as soon as their first tooth erupts (usually between 6 and 12 months). Why is that needed? One of the main reasons is called early childhood caries, previously known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries. It can develop at a very early age, not to mention the fact that the cavity-causing bacteria can be transferred from mothers to babies. So the earlier the dental visit, the higher the chance to prevent further problems.

2. Parents should brush children’s teeth until the age of 5: SO-SO

There are no clear rules among the experts, though. Some dentists advise parents to brush their children’s teeth until they are perfectly coordinated themselves which is supposed to be around the age of six. NHS’ advice is to brush or supervise brushing until the age of three, and then switch to supervision only. Our tip: Your child should start building habits so let them try to brush their teeth as soon as you think they can do it. However, don’t forget to supervise and still ensure proper cleaning afterwards.

3. It doesn’t matter if children’s baby teeth decay; they’ll fall out: MYTH

Ignoring tooth decay can always cause further, more serious problems, and milk teeth are no exception. If left untreated, it can become abscessed which could lead to an emergency situation and a painful experience. Moreover, just pulling out a decayed tooth can lead to other teeth shifting so there’s not enough space for the adult tooth to grow in. Last but not least, your child needs their teeth for proper speech development and nutrition.

4. Parents should start brushing when their child’s first tooth erupts: FACT

Believe it or not, oral hygiene starts almost immediately after birth. And we are glad to see that 51% of parents realise that. Early childhood caries is a very common dental disease so make sure you do what’s needed to prevent it.

5. Children can also floss: FACT

Parents should start flossing daily, once their child’s teeth (milk or permanent) fit closely together – usually between the ages of two and six. As they develop dexterity, you can help them to learn to floss independently, approx. at the age of 10. As improper flossing might harm the gums, make sure you supervise your child until they have perfected the habit.

6. Electric toothbrushes are not good for children: MYTH

Experts say that if a child brushes for two minutes twice a day and reaches every part of their mouth, it doesn’t really matter if the brush is manual or electric. In any case, electric toothbrushes are not harmful to children. They even have some fun perks, such as bright-colored or themed appearance, timer, connection to a mobile app, that can make the brushing experience more pleasant.

7. Children should not brush teeth immediately after eating: FACT

Brushing after eating is just not a good idea as the acids in the foods and drinks you consumed tend to soften enamel for a time. And this applies to both children and adults. Brushing away the cavity-causing bacteria after eating is certainly important but wait minimum 30 minutes before doing it.

8. Overuse of a dummy may affect children’s teeth alignment: FACT

We know the case: Your child cannot sleep or cries for no clear reason and you just give them the ultimate calmer – their dummy. Nothing wrong or bad about it. However, if that happens too often or for a too long period, it may lead to orthodontic problems as 82% of survey participants also point out.

Experts’ advice is ditch the dummy by the age of 2 and approach your paediatrician if your child still seeks it by the age of 3.

9. Thumb sucking can lead to bite problems: FACT

To begin with, sucking on a thumb or any other finger is absolutely normal and some babies even develop it as a habit before they’re born. If this habit is not timely broken (by the age of 2-3), bite problems are possible as it interferes with normal tooth eruption and jaw growth. Extensive thumb sucking can also lead to developing an “open bite”, meaning that teeth don’t overlap when the child bites together.

10. Children cannot get periodontal disease: MYTH

Periodontal disease is among the most common oral health problems worldwide.

Poor oral hygiene habits, bad nutrition, autoimmune diseases, certain medicines – those are some of the factors related to periodontal disease in both adults and children. Never skip your child’s routine dental visits to detect even the earliest signs of gum disease.

11. Light bleeding during brushing is normal in children: MYTH

It’s disturbing that nearly one-quarter of parents perceive gum bleeding during brushing as completely normal.

Light bleeding in children may be a sign of brushing too hard and thus hurting the gums, or of developing periodontal problems. Pay attention and consult with your child’s paediatric dentist.

12. The application of dental sealants is painful for children: MYTH

Dental specialists assure that getting a sealant is very easy, fast and doesn’t hurt. How it works: 1) The tooth is cleaned and a gel may be placed on the chewing surface for a few seconds; 2) The tooth is rinsed and dried; 3) The sealant is painted and then potentially lighted to help harden it and form a protective shield.

13. Children often get cavities because they have “soft teeth”: MYTH

Experts state that there is no such thing as 'soft teeth', as everyone’s teeth are coated in the hardest substance in the human body, namely the enamel. Moreover, caries is an infectious disease, very common in children. It’s important for parents to never forget that the cavity-forming bacteria feeds on acids and sugar, so limiting such foods and drinks while also maintaining proper oral hygiene is the reasonable way to protect children’s teeth from cavities.

14. Sweets are okay as long as children brush their teeth straight after: MYTH

Brushing is important but it’s just not the ultimate protector.

As mentioned above, brushing straight after eating is actually the worst time to do it as the enamel then is softened by the food acids and can be worn down more easily. So give it 30-60 minutes to harden again.

15. It’s not good to let children drink milk in a bottle throughout the night: FACT

Lactose found in cow’s milk and in many baby formulas is a type of sugar and can, therefore, put the babies at risk to develop tooth decay. This risk is increased during the night as when we sleep we produce less saliva to protect us against cavities. A good alternative to milk during sleepless nights would be water.

16. Fruit juices and smoothies are healthy snacks for children’s teeth: MYTH

There is no doubt that homemade fruit juices are a better alternative to coke or sweetened soda, as they are at least not full of artificial ingredients. However, don’t forget that fruits are packed with fructose, natural fruit sugar. When pureed or juiced, they lose their fibres and turn into a high-fructose liquid. A glass of apple juice contains around seven teaspoons of sugar, which is about the same as a cola. This fact, combined with the fact that they are often highly acidic as well, make fruit juices about the same harmful in terms of tooth decay risk. Consider replacing juices with fresh fruits and go for low-sugar options such as blueberries and strawberries.

17. Dried fruits are not a healthy snack for children’s teeth: FACT

A lot of children love the sweet and sticky dried fruits. And one-third of survey participants with children see them as a perfectly healthy snack for their little ones.

Actually, dried fruits are very concentrated in fruit sugar and their stickiness allows them to cling to the teeth for a longer time, creating perfect conditions for the decay-causing bacteria to feed on.

18. If children don’t eat sweets, they’ll not have cavities: MYTH

Our digestive system starts processing the food with the saliva breaking down carbs into simple sugars, the cavity-causing bacteria feed on. Therefore, frequent snacking becomes a risk factor for dental disease whether sweet or salty. Cavity is an infectious disease meaning that it can also be transmitted to children from their mothers. Moreover, sugary drinks affect teeth as well, so eliminating candies is, unfortunately, not the universal way towards a cavity-free life.

19: Fluoride is harmful to children: MYTH

Some studies say flouride can help manage decay by making teeth more resistant to the action of bacteria and acids in food. There is no significant evidence, though, that it does any harm to children’s development when used in the recommended doses. And although the answers are quite dispersed, more respondents (33%) believe fluoride is not harmful.

20. Bad teeth are passed from parents to children: MYTH

Such a minor share of people can attribute their poor oral health to genes, that this statement is considered a myth by dental experts.

Generally, susceptibility to tooth decay does not run in families and almost all cases of tooth decay are actually preventable with a healthy diet, proper hygiene and regular dental visits. However, avoid sharing cutlery or cleaning your baby’s bottles, dummies, etc in your mouth, as that’s a way to transfer the cavity-causing bacteria.