British children skip brushing teeth an average of nine times each week, a new survey from Oral-B shows.
As part of its #Strongteethstrongkids campaign, Oral-B looked at children’s tooth brushing habits across the UK.
When kids do brush their teeth, they only brush for an average of just 76 seconds.
‘This research shows just how hard it can be for parents to encourage their kids to brush their teeth,’ Adam Parker, northern Europe marketing manager at Oral-B, said.
‘As a result, we’re on a mission to improve the oral health of kids in the UK by helping parents make brushing fun.’
Brushing teeth
Most parents (70%) believe ensuring children are brushing teeth is the most stressful part of modern parenting.
Indeed, on average parents spend nine minutes asking their kids to brush their teeth.
The study also found that 70% of parents say the topic of brushing teeth causes tantrums.
‘We launched the #bedtimebrushchallenge to support parents in educating children from a young age about the importance of oral health whilst giving people the chance to win brushing bundles for the whole family,’ Mr Parker continues.
‘We believe that strong teeth make strong kids.
‘It’s exciting to see how many people take part in our challenge.’
Poor oral health
However, 86% of parents feel their kids eat too much sugar.
The study also shows that almost half (46%) of children have had a filling or a cavity.
‘We’ve seen first-hand just how poor oral health in children can be,’ Dr Roksolana Mykhalus, founder of Happy Kids Dental practice, said.
‘This research shows just what a struggle it can be to get kids to brush their teeth.
‘Most of these problems could be avoided if children had a regular oral care routine at home, and ate a healthy, balanced diet.
‘When kids have strong healthy teeth the difference in their general wellbeing is really noticeable.
‘They tend to be much happier and more confident versus those with poor oral health.’
