Public unaware that smoothies are rough on dental health

Read the following post from Dentistry.co.uk :

A dental charity is going bananas over smoothies, after a recent survey shows members of the public are unaware of the damage the sugary drinks can do to their teeth.

The survey, which interviewed more than 1,000 members of the public on various oral health topics, revealed that many people are unsure about good oral healthcare, in particular the impact their diet has on their teeth.

When asking about which foods and drinks were good or bad for teeth, the survey found a general misconception among the public – over 50% of those who took part believed sugary drinks such as fruit smoothies were not damaging to their oral health.

People over 60 were the age group most likely to believe fruit smoothies were no risk at all, and men were found to be more likely than women to think smoothies weren't bad for their teeth.

The survey was conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation for National Smile Month.

The chief executive of the Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter says: 'These results are quite shocking. A smoothie is something which often has a very high sugar content and being thick sticks to the teeth, and therefore is obviously bad for them. That such a large number of the public are unaware of this shows a general lack of knowledge about oral health.'

Dr Carter added: 'As more and more serious illnesses are being linked with oral health, it really is vital people understand how to take care of their teeth properly. The Foundation wants to make information more readily available for the public and remind people how important it is to visit their dentist regularly for check-ups.

'This is not the first time we have noticed a misconception about oral health amongst the public. We have reported in the past about a lack of knowledge about products such as maple syrup. We will continue to keep an eye on this subject, and we hope the more information we get out there, the more things will improve.'

The Foundation recommends water and milk as the healthiest choices of drinks, but emphasises that cutting down on how often you have sugary drinks is a big improvement.