Sugary diets at root of children’s tooth decay

THREE-QUARTERS of Irish children have decayed permanent teeth by the time they are 15-years-old, while half of all five-year-olds have rotten baby teeth, new figures show.

The increase in the number of cavities in young children’s teeth is directly linked to the amount of sugar in their diets, a conference organised by the Irish Dental Association (IDA) heard yesterday.

Guest speaker Dr Paula Moynihan of the School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, presented research linking sugar intake in children’s diets to tooth cavities and obesity levels.

She warned that the increase in tooth cavities among young children would not be reversed until there was a decrease in the level of sugar in their diets.

The level of decayed teeth in children is particularly alarming because the future dental needs of a person are largely determined between the ages of 12 and 14.

Director of the Oral Health Services Research Centre at University College Cork Dr Helen Whelton said it was more damaging for children to ‘graze’ for long periods of time on sugary foods rather than consume those foods in one sitting.

She also presented the final results of a study of 20,000 Irish children showing that tooth decay continues to be a very common childhood disease.

While levels of tooth decay have fallen since the 1980s, Ireland still lags behind Britain in preventing the problem. Dr Whelton pointed out that Irish people are munching more sweets than other European countries and brushing their teeth less often.

The IDA pointed out that Irish dental health is maintained largely due to the fluoridation of the country’s water supply and that, without this, Ireland would have the worst oral health in Europe.

And while the level of dental cavities has declined dramatically since the early 1960s, particularly since the introduction of fluoride, the decline has slowed down since the 1990s.

The association stressed that if people are to reduce their chances of decay, they must reduce their consumption of sugary foods and drinks.

The country’s poor tooth brushing habit was highlighted recently when research showed that more than one-in-three homes have not bought a toothbrush in more than a year.

A study conducted during the summer found that 65% of households in Ireland have not purchased a toothbrush in 12 months, even though it is recommended that toothbrushes should be replaced every three months, or sooner if necessary.

Incoming president of the IDA’s public dental surgeons group Dr Patrick Quinn described the level of tooth decay in Irish children’s teeth as significant.

The IDA advises that regular brushing and attending a dentist every six months can prevent the development and progression of dental disease.