Public health guidelines for oral health are not aligned with today’s eating habits, new research finds

Caries is one of the most common dental diseases in the UK. To understand how the issue of high levels of caries among the adult population can be addressed, the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme commissioned independent research into the eating and drinking habits of UK adults as well as their current oral health routines. The results have been published in a new report titled Eat, Drink, Think.                                 

Data from the survey shows most respondents (83 per cent) consume at least one snack between meals and almost half (48 per cent) enjoy two snacks or more per day, however no oral health intervention is made after 56 per cent of morning snacks and 60 per cent of afternoon snacks. Taking into account this ‘grazing’ culture, it suggests that our oral health routines may not be sufficient and further interventions are required.  This data reaffirms results from an earlier report on oral health by the European Commission, which found the frequency of snacking in the UK to be above the European average, with respondents from the UK reporting an average of 6.7 eating or drinking occasions per day compared with a European average of 5.4 in 2010.