Towns where half of five-year-olds have rotten teeth
NEArLy a quarter of children starting primary school have tooth decay – rising up to half in some areas, official figures reveal.
A total of 23.3 per cent of five-yearold pupils across England had rotten teeth in 2017.
But this rocketed to 49.4 per cent in Pendle, Lancashire, and 47.1 per cent in rochdale, Greater Manchester.
The figure was 41.5 per cent in Slough, Berkshire, and 39.6 per cent in Harrow, North West London. Dentists said the figures were a ‘tragedy’ and the problem was almost entirely preventable. Only 12.9 per cent of five-year-olds had rotten teeth in Cambridgeshire and 13 per cent in Surrey.
The Public Health England figures show that children in the worst areas have 20 times the number of decayed teeth compared to those in the best.
In Pendle, five-year-olds have an average of 2.3 ‘missing’ or decayed teeth. But this falls to just 0.1 in Waverley, Surrey – where Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is MP.
Mick Armstrong, of the British Dental Association, said: ‘It’s a tragedy that a child’s oral health is still determined by their postcode and their parents’ incomes. We should not accept that a child raised in Pendle will enter primary school with 20 times the levels of decay as one born in the Surrey home of the Health Secretary.’
However, the statistics also show that overall levels of tooth decay have dramatically improved in the last decade. This has been attributed to supervised brushing at school and parents cutting down on sugary drinks and snacks.
The 23.3 per cent figure compares to 30.9 per cent in 2008 and 24.7 per cent in 2015. But in some regions the levels have deterioof
‘Impact of sugar on teeth’
rated including the north-west, yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands.
Stephen Fayle of the royal College of Surgeons, whose members carry out a high number of extractions of rotting teeth said: ‘We are very disappointed the proportion young children with tooth decay has increased in some areas, especially as this has occurred in parts of the country where decay levels are already high.
‘It is even more concerning when you consider that approximately 90 per cent of dental decay is preventable.’ Separate figures from Public Health England last month showed that a child is having rotten teeth removed every ten minutes on the NHS.
More than 60,000 children had teeth extracted in hospital last year – the equivalent to 141 operations per school day.
Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, which represent councils, said: ‘Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people. The findings of this survey highlight the need for urgent investment in oral health education so parents and children understand the impact of sugar on teeth and the importance of good oral hygiene. Untreated dental care remains one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialise.’
Dr Sandra White, dental lead for Public Health England, said: ‘It’s encouraging to see dental decay declining across England.’
But she added: ‘Children in our most deprived communities continue to be hit the hardest. We need more local authorities using targeted interventions to reduce these inequalities.’