Approximately 1 in 3 children younger than age 12 in Britain don't brush their teeth before bed, according to the findings of a new national survey reported in the Daily Mail.
About 70% of parents admit they don't push their children to brush because they want to avoid major meltdowns at night.
Though parents urge their children to take care of their teeth, most kids only brush on average about nine times per week, according to the survey results. This means these children are skipping out on about five dentist-recommended toothbrushing sessions. The survey results also showed that if children had their way, only about 22% of them would brush at all.
In addition, about 60% of children brush their teeth every morning, and about 50% visit the dentist twice per year, which experts recommend.
When children do clean their teeth, they don't do it long enough. On average, children brush for just 76 seconds instead of the recommended 2 minutes.
Children aren't taking care of their teeth despite the average British child consuming three carbonated drinks, three packs of sweets, and four chocolate bars per week, according to research from Procter & Gamble brand's Oral-B.
Parents believe the answer to better brushing may begin with school. About 95% of parents surveyed want oral hygiene taught at school.
