Joint research from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh focusing on the dental health, oral hygiene and dietary habits of 4,000 pre-school children has shown that frequent snacking on sugary foods between meals is the main factor causing dental decay in children.
Whilst brushing is important as part of maintaining dental health, the study demonstrated that regular brushing is not enough to undo the damage caused by regular snacking, and that the only way to steer clear of fillings and extractions in children is to ensure that frequent sugary snacks and drinks are avoided in the first instance.
The research, published in December 2017 in the Journal of Public Health, was conducted by Social and Public Health academics from Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities and supported by The British Academy, the Medical Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates.