Healthier children say 'aargh' to sweets

THEIR toothless smiles are as Scottish as soor plooms and Highland toffee.

Children north of the border have long had some of the nastiest gnashers in Europe, mostly thanks to the kilos of confectionery they chomp their way through every year.

Some despairing dentists and doctors were beginning to fear they could never wean youngsters off their junk diets.

At least until now. That's because the latest figures appear to show that young Scots are losing their collective sweet tooth.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal there has been a dramatic fall in the number of children who tuck into sweeties every day – and a rise in those who eat fruit instead.

In 2002, 47% of boys and 43% of girls had sweets every day, according to figures published in statistical bible for the welfare of Scottish children, the 300-page 2008–2009 factfile produced by the charity Action for Children and endorsed by the Scottish Government.

The latest figure, according to the document, is just 34%.

That, say doctors and dentists, is still unacceptably high – but it represents huge progress, not least because it coincides with the number of children turning to fruit.

The Action for Children factfile said daily fruit consumption was up from 31% of boys and 36% of girls in 2002 to 36% and 43% respectively.

Some confectioners have started to notice the difference. Irene Birkett, owner of one of Scotland's oldest sweetie shops, Glickman's in Glasgow, said parents were increasingly sneaking into her store to buy goodies for themselves but warning her "not to tell the children".

"Some of our customers are waiting until the kids go to bed before they have their treats," Birkett said. "True, we do get grandmas and grandpas coming in with children and buying them sweeties but keeping it a secret from the parents.

"People still like their sweeties and what's wrong with that, as long as it is in moderation? Actually, we haven't really felt the credit crunch.

"I think people like their comfort foods just now. We are finding some people are renting a DVD and buying a bag of sweeties to share with the family instead of going out."

Birkett's shop, set up by her grandfather in 1903, has been churning out its own macaroon cakes for generations.

But she has had to adapt to the times, selling sugar-free confectionery, even if many of her older customers aren't happy with the flavour. "They say our sugar-free midget gems taste like seaweed," she said. "And they want the real thing. The truth is our best sellers are still jelly babies and soor plooms."

Dentists are delighted to see sales up for sugar-free sweets (although they admit the products can have embarrassing side effects; their main ingredient, if taken in excess, is a laxative). And yesterday they welcomed the drop in the frequency with which children eat the real thing.

"Slowly but surely things are getting better," said Colin Crawford, who speaks on behalf of the British Dental Association in Scotland. "I've been a dentist in Oban for 23 years and you can see the improvement.

"There used to be children whose baby teeth, when they appeared, were black because of all the sugar in the squash they were given to drink when they were weaning off milk. We don't see that any more.

"It's great to see children eating fewer sweets. But what is really important is how they eat sweets. For example, if you have a wee sweetie after your tea it does a lot less damage than sooking one after another all afternoon.

"I am afraid old-fashioned boiled sweets are worse than some others, just because they are in your mouth longer. The improvements we see might also be down to better dental hygiene. Children are getting better at brushing their teeth and are more likely to use fluoride paste. Giving free fruit at schools is also a big help.

"But we can't be complacent. These figures show that a third of children are still eating sweets every day."

Scotland's chief dental officer, Margie Taylor, last night reinforced Crawford's message, stressing the importance of programmes like Childsmile, where nursery nurses supervise tooth brushing.

"It is good news that children are adopting healthy eating habits and eating fewer sweets," she said. "We are also seeing a very encouraging trend of continued improved oral health in Primary 1 children and a particular improvement in the children in the most deprived areas."

Crawford, meanwhile, had one last hint for children – and adults – who can't go without a sugar hit: "Eat a nice piece of chocolate," he said. "It usually does less damage to your smile."