A study of children being treated for dental cavities has further confirmed among experts that poor nutritional choices are to blame for the number of children needing emergency dentistry.

The University of Buffalo carried out tests on 65 children aged between two and five years of age and found that tooth decay was more prevalent in those who were overweight.

Kathleen Bethin, associate professor of pediatrics at the university, explained that the research aimed to assess if there was a link between poor nutritional choices, obesity and rotten teeth.

She said: “The main point of our findings is that poor nutrition may link obesity to tooth decay, thus the dental office … may be an ideal place to educate families about nutrition and the risks of … dental decay.”

The results showed that the amount of calories were the same in both groups of children, suggesting the types of foods being eaten was the main cause of problems, Ms Bethin claimed.

Having more water fountains in parks was recently suggested as a way to help combat poor oral hygiene by the Children’s Food Campaign, which claimed lack of resources encouraged kids to drink sugary alternatives.