Rethink on sugar welcome

The potential benefits in terms of the fight against obesity have been well documented, but the implications for oral health are sometimes forgotten.

Dental disease was the most common reason for a child aged five to nine years to be admitted to hospital in England with the NHS spending £30m on dental extractions in 2012/13.  In 2014/15, the NHS in England provided multiple dental extractions under general anaesthesia for 45,935 children.

BSPD spokesperson Claire Stevens, consultant in paediatric dentistry, said, “Decayed teeth have the potential to cause pain, infection, swelling and sleep disturbance, necessitating time away from school, or work. A tax on sugary drinks alone is not the answer, but if we are serious about improving the oral health of our nation's children, then the Government should consider its implementation along with all of Public Health England's evidence based recommendations contained in Sugar Reduction: The Evidence for Action."

She continued, “David Cameron and his government have an opportunity to make a very real difference to the oral health of children.  We need strong and decisive leadership if we wish to address inequalities in oral health once and for all.”