A survey published by YouGov has claimed that many UK parents do not realise that some acidic juices contain enough sugar to erode their children’s teeth.

In the survey, half the parents questioned were unaware that fruit juices may contain as much sugar as some fizzy drinks.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Philip Stemner of Teeth for Life gave parents advice, encouraging them to take precautions in order to maximise the health benefits of fruit juices for their children.

He advised parents to combine acidic drinks such as orange juice with meal times, and to give the child a straw to drink soft drinks through. He also recommended waiting at least half an hour after drinking sugary or acidic drinks to brush, because sugar softens teeth and the tooth itself will be brushed away.

He also claimed that dried fruit is bad for teeth. “So many parents buy these healthy snacks of dried fruit but drying it concentrates the sugar so much it’s almost like giving your child a jelly bean.” l

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