Abstract
The new sugar tax was recently announced by Government, aiming to combat obesity through investment in school sports. Dental professionals should seize this rare opportunity to raise awareness of the other adverse effects of sugar; young children continue to suffer alarmingly high rates of dental cavities in the UK. A significant amount of money raised through the levy must be reinvested into ensuring fluoride toothpaste is more affordable. Since daily use of fluoride toothpaste is the most effective evidence-based oral health preventative measure that is widely used, this should receive tax exemption status from the government as a means of universal oral health prevention. There must also be a re-investment in innovative oral health education so that the next generation of children will alter their mind set about sugar. Oral health prevention advice must be tightly integrated into general health messages.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 11-12 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | British Dental Journal |
| Volume | 223 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 7 Jul 2017 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 7 Jul 2017 |
