Children are naturally inclined to eat sugary foods after their home cooking, though their enjoyment of sweets is often developed when they are offered as a reward, experts say.

Families often present foods such as confectionary and chocolate to their young ones, meaning that the items eventually become a token of love, according to a spokesperson from the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF).

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the BDHF, said: "Research has not only shown that people who learn good habits as children are far more likely to carry them into adulthood, but taking bad habits into adulthood will cause gum disease and this has been linked to all manner of serious conditions."

Mr Carter also suggested that sweets can be a common cause of tooth decay in children and advised adults to educate them about healthy eating from an early age.

Meanwhile, the London Tooth Wear Centre recently reported that many teenagers are trying dangerous homemade recipes to whiten their teeth.