No one will argue against the benefits of good oral hygiene (The Guardian view on the dental divide: ministers must brush up their policy as well as children’s teeth, 2 September), but teaching toothbrushing at breakfast clubs to prevent dental decay (cavities and fillings) is a waste of time unless it is backed up by dietary advice with regard to unnecessary sugar. Why can’t this simple advice, and ways to apply it, be given to pregnant women and mothers of newborns? It can be given by a variety of healthcare professionals, costs nothing to apply at home and would save the NHS millions in a few years’ time. Children would have less pain and dentists would have a happier job.
Extending the sugar tax and challenging the aggressive marketing and lobbying tactics of the food industry, which promotes and profits from high-sugar foods, should also be considered if we are to take the problem seriously. There is “no specific correlation between the number of NHS dentists and young children with tooth decay” because the damage has been done and habits established before most children get to see a dentist.
Incidentally, a bit more advice at the earliest stages would have significant health benefits in other respects too.
Nick Hopkinson
York
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