Does your child like to go to bed late? Do they often stay up past their bedtime and wake up a lot through the night?

If the answer is yes, new research unveiled by the International Journal of Hygiene says children who go to bed later are up to a whopping four times more likely to suffer from the dreaded tooth decay.

The new stats make worrying reading for mums and dads, as adolescents who like to stay up late have a significantly higher risk of tooth decay than children who go to bed on time.

The researchers involved in the study have put this down to the fact that late sleepers are more likely to forget to brush their teeth before they go to bed and also skip their breakfast in the morning resulting in, yeah you guessed it, lots of snacking on sugary foods throughout the day.

In the wake of these new findings, Doctor Ewan Bramley, of leading Newcastle dentist Ewan Bramley Dental Care, is urging parents to make sure their kids come to grips with the importance of brushing before bed time and understand the high risk of tooth decay if they and their children don’t take oral health seriously.

He said: “There is a danger children aren’t brushing their teeth regularly if parents go to bed before their kids. If children don’t brush their teeth research suggests that they’ll also sleep in longer and fall victim to an irregular eating pattern.

“Remember, poor dental hygiene can seriously affect their relationships, their ability to communicate and of course, it can have a big impact on their general health.  

“Parents really must come to terms with the oral health routine and habits of their children, and must attempt to inform them about the importance of brushing properly before bed time and eating properly throughout the day, starting with breakfast.”

Tooth decay can occur when tooth enamel becomes soft through an acid attack after we drink and eat products that have a high sugar content.

And, over time this acid can create holes (cavities) and this nearly always results in a tooth having to be filled or in the worst-case scenario it may have to be removed.

Dental decay can creep up on you, but if you visit a dentist regularly they’ll be to identify problems early and advise you on how to keep on top of your oral health.

If you’re concerned about your child’s oral health Ewan Bramley Dental Care is always on hand to offer you advice.

For an informal chat, call us on 0191 640 2809 or CONTACT US HERE.