Survey finds that 3 out of 4 Parents Admit Their Kids Forget to Brush their Teeth

Despite that tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S., 75%of parents report that their kids sometimes or frequently forget to brush their teeth, according to a national survey released today by the Ad Council.

It's estimated that children miss more than 51 million school hours each year due to dental related illness, yet the survey shows parents perceive their children's dental health as a low priority compared to other issues such as school safety, nutrition and the upcoming cold and flu season.

In an effort to help parents better understand why ignoring dental health can have serious consequences, and educate families about good dental health habits, the Ad Council and The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives created new Public Service Ads for the Kids' Healthy Mouths campaign.

The new PSAs are humorous depictions of life lessons which make the point that while parenting can be tricky at times, getting kids to brush for two minutes, twice a day can be easier than most other things parents will try to teach their children.

The new PSAs debut today at the American Dental Association (ADA) annual meeting and are now available for nationwide distribution.

Kristina Guerrero, former host of E! News and mother of a one-year old son, Mateo, is a Kids' Healthy Mouths spokesperson and easily relates to the new PSAs. "Since my son was born last year, I have found that parenting is the most challenging job you could have, but it's also the most rewarding," said Guerrero.

"I just introduced Mateo to his first toothbrush, and he loves it! In my experience, helping your kids to brush two minutes, twice a day is a lot easier than most other parts of my day as a parent.

I'm thrilled to be a part of a campaign that relates to parents and helps them to teach their children the importance of brushing each day."

The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives is a coalition of more than 35 leading dental health organizations, who together with the Ad Council, believe every child deserves a healthy smile.

The mouth is the gateway to a person's overall health, and an unhealthy mouth can be associated with obesity, diabetes and even heart disease.4 Additionally, while dental disease impacts all children, it disproportionately affects children from low-income families and minorities.5