Chew O'clock

The research, which spoke to 1,000 British women with children aged 12-14, found that a quarter of them (23 per cent) either don’t know about the impact after school snacking can have on oral health or have never considered it. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) are not even aware that 4pm is a key snacking time for their children.

Furthermore, according to mums themselves, the average 12-14 year old spends just one minute and one second brushing their teeth twice a day – which is only half the time dentists recommend, and could further impact their children’s teeth. One in two mothers (50 per cent) also admits they are hitting a brick wall when it comes to getting their children to break out the toothpaste more regularly.

Yet as the brushing battles rage, less than half (45 per cent) are aware that chewing a sugar-free gum is a quick and easy way to keep their youngsters’ teeth in mint condition, particularly after tucking into a snack or eating on the move.