UK - Five in ten toddlers 'suffer from tooth decay'

Five in ten toddlers 'suffer from tooth decay'
Half of toddlers aged below fiver-years-old are suffering from tooth decay, a report has found.The numbers of fillings and removed teeth remains at a high level in Britain despite industry efforts to reduce sugars in food and drinks.
It is thought that a culture of allowing children access to snacks and fizzy drink without asking permission could be the root cause.Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation which carried out the research, said: "What we've seen as well over that time is the change from three square meals a day into seven to 10 'snack attacks', and the constant sipping of fizzy drinks.
"That's starting to cause a problem with children's teeth and we think we're beginning to see the signs of an increase, or certainly a levelling off in the reduction [of tooth decay among children]."
To redress the balance however, it appears that Britain's teeth and gums are at least becoming healthier, thanks to added fluoride in the country's toothpaste.