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.
“But families on their own can’t make a difference – everyone needs to get on board. For a start, it’s time that the Government responded to the excellent recommendations made by Public Health England in their report: Sugar Reduction: the evidence for action.
“We are glad to know that some supermarkets and manufacturers are co-operating with the Sugar Smart campaign, but they all need to work hard to improve food labelling too.
“BSPD is still campaigning for a preventive scheme reaching out into schools and communities as Childsmile has so successfully done in Scotland. 2016 must be the year of collaboration if we are to reduce health inequalities for all.”