Welsh parents’ knowledge of safe dental care for their children is inadequate

Parents lack 'adequate child oral health knowledge'

The study found 12% of their children were not registered with a dentist Credit: PA

Welsh parents’ knowledge of safe dental care for their children is inadequate compared to Welsh Government standards, a new study has shown.

The study found that nearly half of parents allowed their children to drink sugary drinks between meals and 37% allowed their children to brush their teeth just once a day.

The findings will be presented at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Welsh Paediatric Society’s Welsh Paediatric Conference later today.
49% of parents allow their children to drink sugary drinks between meals Credit: PA

The study used a questionnaire based on Designed to Smile standards, an NHS Dental Programme funded by the Welsh Government, to see if parents’ knowledge of their child’s dental care matched these simple levels.

Questions included whether children brushed their teeth twice a day with fluoride containing toothpaste, whether they didn’t rinse out after cleaning and whether they went to the dentist.

The study also found that:

• 12% of their children were not registered with a dentist
• Only 53% of parents knew that milk and water are the only safe drinks for young children’s teeth
• 60% of parents encourage their children to rinse their mouth out with water after brushing, which goes against Designed to Smile Guidelines
• 55% of parents do not use sugar free medicines
• 37% allowed their children to brush their teeth just once a day
• 49% of parents allow their children to drink sugary drinks between meals

Our pilot study shows a worrying lack of parental knowledge and practice for their children’s teeth and oral health. Children in Wales have the worst dental health in the UK, with 41% of 5-year olds having obvious decay in their primary teeth, compared with 31% in England and 40% in Northern Ireland.

Children, especially the very young, rely upon their parents for guidance when it comes to their oral care, making it imperative that parents are better educated on the basics of good child oral health.

Without better education, Wales will continue to be behind the rest of the UK when it comes to children’s standards of dental care.

– DAVID TUTHILL, CONSULTANT PAEDIATRICIAN AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOR WALES