UK's sugar tax may have helped lower tooth decay in children

Research has linked the ‘sugar tax’ levied by the United Kingdom on soft drinks with a decrease in hospital admissions for tooth extraction in children, which is usually caused by tooth decay. — 123rf.com

The UK soft drinks industry levy introduced in 2018 may have reduced the number of those aged below 18 having a tooth removed due to tooth decay by 12%, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

The fall in hospital admissions may have saved more than 5,500 hospital admissions for tooth decay alone, with the largest reductions in children aged up to nine years old.