Survey shows one in five kids clean teeth only once a day

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A large national survey has laid bare the dental habits of Australian families. It shows around one in five children only brush their teeth once a day, and most never floss. Dentists want to raise awareness about the lifelong importance of children's baby teeth.

Transcript

00:00These days six-year-old Charlotte is happy going to the dentist, but it wasn't always

00:09the case.

00:12Last year she started complaining of a sore tooth.

00:16I had a look in her mouth and we could see sort of a little hole developing.

00:21She'd developed cavities and needed five stainless steel crowns.

00:26Charlotte's mother says in the busyness of life they were sometimes only brushing her

00:31teeth once a day and she was often drinking juice.

00:35She liked it and it tasted good so we just kept on with the juice.

00:39They're not alone.

00:40An Australian Dental Association survey of 25,000 adults has found around 20% of children

00:48only brush once a day.

00:51Three quarters never floss, though it's recommended daily.

00:55More than one quarter are drinking fruit juice each day.

00:59Almost 40% are having sports and soft drinks up to five times a week.

01:05And 40% of respondents think kids should first see a dentist when they're about two, when

01:11the advice is...

01:12We should be getting children into the dentist before the age of one or when their first tooth

01:16erupts into the mouth, whichever happens first.

01:19Say the importance of baby teeth is underestimated.

01:23They're not only to allow them to smile and chew and function effectively, but they're

01:28also space holders for adult teeth.

01:29Tooth decay lands thousands of children in hospital each year.

01:34Severe cases of infection in conjunction with the doctors, they may be admitted on antibiotics.

01:39The survey also found three quarters of women didn't have a dental check-up before conceiving.

01:45It's recommended because pregnant women are more likely to develop gum disease due to hormonal

01:51changes.

01:52Armed with more knowledge, Charlotte's teeth are now brushed and flossed every day.

01:57The more we can do to help her, the better.

01:58The more we can do to help her, the better.

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