The results of a recent poll have produced some worrying statistics. Over 1,800 parents answered a poll about the oral health and hygiene habits of their children. While there were some positive findings, the results suggest that there is room for significant improvement in the oral hygiene habits of many children.
Children are facing dental issues on an increasing basis. While in the past issues such as cavities only affected adults, dental clinics are seeing an ever-increasing number of children present with tooth decay.
Many potential causes of this have been put forward, including poor diet, inadequate brushing, a lack of dental clinic visits, and scepticism of fluoride.
In fact, a new national poll has suggested that more than one in three children have faced problems like tooth decay and cavities over the past two years [1].
About the national poll
The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, which is part of the University of Michigan, commissioned a national poll based around children’s oral health [1].
The poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. In August 2024, a randomly selected group of with at least one child aged 1-17 were asked a series of questions [1].
The poll received responses from 1,801 parents, which represents a number that can provide useful insights into the oral health of children [1].
The poll asked parents questions pertaining to the oral health of their children. The results were quite concerning and provide an explanation for the growing dental issues in children.
Oral hygiene poll results
The first section of the poll focused on six oral hygiene practices. These refer to the daily activities a child should do to protect their teeth.
In arguably the most concerning finding, only 3 in 5 parents said that their child regularly brushes their teeth twice a day [1]. Toothbrushing twice a day should be a bear minimum, as irrespective of anything that happens throughout the day, at least this ensures a child’s teeth will receive protection from fluoride twice a day.
Moreover, when brushing, it is important to clean for at least two minutes, so that all areas of the mouth can be sufficiently cleaned. The results showed that only 59% of parents said their children brushes for at least two minutes [1].
Aside from brushing teeth twice a day, using a mouthwash or fluoride rinse throughout the day can be helpful. 22% of parents said that their children did this daily [1].
Eating sugary snacks is common in childhood. But something that can limit damage to the teeth is to rinse the mouth with water following consuming anything sugary, as this can help to regulate acid levels in the mouth. Just 15% of parents said that their children do this [1].
35% of adults said that their child cleans their tongue, with 23% saying that their child flosses [1]. While tongue cleaning and flossing isn’t essential in childhood, they should be encouraged, as they are important activities in adulthood.
So none of these six areas received particularly strong results. Only 20% of children according to the poll engage in 4-6 of these practices. Ideally this number would be significantly higher.
41% of children complete 2-3 practices, whilst 38% report 0-1 practices [1]. These results suggest that very few children are engaging in the recommended oral hygiene practices.
Dental problems poll results
The second part of the poll asked the parents about any dental problems that their child had experienced. Similar to the above, there were some worrying results.
36% of parents reported that their child had experienced dental problems relating to oral hygiene in the last two years [1]. Furthermore, this included cavities/tooth decay (29%), discolored/stained teeth (7%), tooth sensitivity (6%), and gum problems (3%) [1].
Interestingly, these results were directly linked to the oral hygiene practices mentioned earlier. 44% of children whose parents reported completing 0-1 practices had dental problems, compared to 31% for those completing 2-3 practices, and 28% for those performing 4-6 practices [1].
There were other findings too. 36% of parents said that they had noticed their child has bad breath [1]. This was especially prevalent in the group that engaged in 0-1 oral hygiene practices.
In some positive news, 85% of parents addressed the issue of bad breath, with interventions including going to the dentist, increasing the frequency of brushing, using mouthwash or changing their diet [1].
In terms of recent visits to the dentist, 89% of parents said their last visit to a dental clinic came within the past year [1]. This was a positive finding, with dental check-ups being crucial!
7% of parents said that the visit was between 1 and 2 years ago, and 4% said that their child’s last visit was over 2 years ago [1].
What does this mean?
The oral health of children is crucial. Good oral hygiene habits in childhood can set up a strong foundation for the future. Therefore, it is important that parents emphasize to their children the importance of looking after their teeth.
Completing the various hygiene practices outlined above can be helpful. Oral health also impacts physical health, which further underlines the importance of oral health for children.
Building oral hygiene practices into a daily routine can be helpful. Moreover, regular visits to a dental clinic for a check-up should be encouraged.
By looking after their teeth, it can help children to avoid oral pain, build oral hygiene skills for the future, and allow them to spend more time learning and having fun.
Thinking points…
1) Are you a parent? If so, remember the importance of following the six oral hygiene practices mentioned above. Make sure your child brushes their teeth twice a day for at least two minutes, cleans their tongue, flosses gently, uses mouthwash and rinses their mouth with water following sugary snacks. By following these practices, you can help their oral health!
2) Additionally, as a parent you can set a good example to your children by attending a dental clinic regularly for a check-up. By doing this, it underlines the importance of oral health to your children. You should attend a check-up at least once every six months. We recommend booking an appointment now!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Mott Poll. (2025). Oral hygiene is key to healthy smiles. Available: https://mottpoll.org/reports/oral-hygiene-key-healthy-smiles. Last accessed: 14th February 2025.
