A total of 66 per cent of children aged 5 in China have some form of tooth decay, according to the Disease Control Bureau at the Ministry of Health. In the United States, that figure is just 5 per cent.

On average, each 5-year-old in China has 3.5 decayed teeth.

A survey publish yesterday also found that nearly half of all parents in Beijing do not know they need to help their children brush their teeth.

"Parents must brush the teeth of their children instead of leaving them to do it by themselves," said Zhang Boxue, vice-president of the National Committee for Oral Health.

The survey was conducted among 200 families in Beijing and was carried out by the committee and the Ministry of Health.

The results were revealed yesterday at a ceremony marking "National Caring for Teeth Day," which was yesterday.

Many parents think that because children get a new set of teeth at around 6 they do not need to care for the first set, Zhang said.

In fact, tooth decay will seriously affect a child's health. For example, decayed teeth will make them eat less, Zhang said.

"We often find children who are shorter and thinner than their counterparts. If you open their mouths, you can see the reason: their teeth are decayed," Zhang said.

"I have brushed my teeth by myself since the age of 2 and a half," said Xue Jiayue, 3, at the ceremony.

"Before coming here, I did not know I needed to brush her teeth for her," said Xue's mother.

Parents, especially those in rural areas, do not know how to care for their kids' teeth, Zhang said.

For example, many parents chew food first and then give it to their children, a process that passes bacteria and causes tooth decay.

Another reason for the high incidence of tooth decay in China is that children have been allowed to eat too much sugary food, Zhang said.

Source: China Daily