Smart app

The campaign features a free app which scans the barcode of everyday food and drink products to reveal how many cubes of sugar they contain. The average child already consumes three times the annual amount recommended by the Specialist Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

The consequences for children’s teeth are dire with nearly one third of five year olds and almost a half of eight year olds suffering from tooth decay. Too many children are having extractions under general anaesthetic – now one of the most common reasons for a child to go into hospital.

Members of BSPD work hard to deliver both treatment as well as advice to children suffering from dental decay and sepsis but have often felt they are fighting a losing battle as they deal with a rising tide of multiple dental extractions.

Claire Stevens, a paediatric dental consultant and a mother of two young children said: “There are too many hidden sugars in food and drink today, including many purporting to be ‘healthy’. We hope the new Sugar Smart resources and app will empower parents and their children to investigate for themselves so that sugar consumption can be radically reduced.