A symbol to identify sweets that are 'kind to teeth'

A smiling little tooth character - Mr Happy Tooth - has been introduced to the UK by the British Association for Toothfriendly Sweets (BATS).

The modern sweeteners used in Toothfriendly confectionary do not assist build up of acid in the mouth, which attacks the tooth enamel, and are therefore 'kind to teeth', or 'Toothfriendly'.

'Mr Happy Tooth' is the international symbol of the Toothfriendly association, and is licensed to manufacturers and distributors who use the symbol on wrappers and packaging of qualifying confectionary.

BATS has been established as a trading company of the British Dental Association, and royalties from the sales of Toothfriendly confectionaries featuring the Happy Tooth logo will be used to fund a generic information campaign to encourage healthier eating habits.

Although tooth decay is still declining in general in the UK, there is particular concern for socially deprived groups where the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth has increased; and visits to the dentist are less likely.

Products bearing the Happy Tooth logo have to be submitted for testing at one of three laboratories in continental Europe, where long established 'in vivo' experiments determine the pH factor (acid level) of dental plaque from eating the trial product.

'Look out for the symbol next time you are buying sweets, whether for the children or yourself, and be confident of the backing of the British Dental Health Association in helping care for your family's teeth.'