A third of children have suffered tooth decay

A third of children starting primary school in Sunderland have suffered from tooth decay, new figures show.

The British Dental Association has warned that "grotesque" health inequalities among children in different areas of the country are set to widen as they lose out on free check-ups and school meals during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Public Health England survey of 189 five-year-olds in Sunderland found tooth decay in 33% of children in the 2018-19 academic year.

The latest population estimates from the Office for National Statistics show there are 3,110 five-year-olds in the area – meaning 1,010 may be suffering with dental problems.

Sunderland's rate was higher than that across the rest of the North East, with 23% of five-year-olds in the region experiencing tooth decay – either at the time of the dental exam, or with missing or filled teeth.

Mick Armstrong, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: "With free check-ups and school meals off the menu these grotesque inequalities among our children look set to widen. In the 21st century we shouldn’t accept that the oral health gap between children from wealthier and more deprived communities is inevitable.”

Of the children that were surveyed in Sunderland, 5% had to have a tooth out – suggesting that around 151 children in Sunderland had required an extraction, aged five or younger.

As high-street dentists are unable to administer a general anaesthetic, this normally requires a hospital visit. Extractions in Sunderland may have cost the NHS around £126,200 in 2018-19.