Recent figures reveal concerning trends in oral health among five-year-olds in England, particularly in the North East, London, and the South West, where the proportion of children with rotting teeth is rising. In some areas, up to 60% of five-year-olds are suffering from enamel and dentinal decay. Manchester has the highest percentage, with 60.8% of children affected, followed by South Hams (49.6%), Pendle (49.0%), and Salford (48.2%).
On the other hand, areas like Rochford (4.9%), St Albans (6.0%), and North Hertfordshire (6.9%) had significantly lower rates of decay. The data shows a clear North-South divide, with northern England consistently reporting higher percentages of children with tooth decay.
Overall, England has seen a slight decrease in the percentage of five-year-olds with enamel and/or dentinal decay, from 29.3% in 2022 to 26.9% in 2024. However, the figures for the North East, South West, and London have increased, with the North East seeing a rise from 26.0% to 27.7%, the South West jumping from 23.3% to 24.2%, and London going from 28.5% to 30.0%.
The rising figures highlight ongoing concerns about children’s oral health, with acids in food and drink being one of the primary causes of enamel erosion. For dentinal decay alone (excluding enamel decay), 22.4% of children were affected in 2024, slightly down from 23.7% in 2022.
The Oral Health Crisis and its Socioeconomic Divide
The data also reveals a troubling socioeconomic divide: 37.0% of children in the most deprived areas have tooth decay, more than double the 18.0% of children in the least deprived areas. This inequality underscores the urgent need for effective preventative programs, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has expressed concerns about the lack of progress in implementing Labour’s promises to improve NHS dentistry and expand prevention programs in schools. Eddie Crouch, Chairman of the BDA, emphasized that the government’s failure to address the crisis in NHS dentistry is leaving children to suffer unnecessarily.
The Royal College of Surgeons also pointed to the persistence of high levels of tooth decay among children, noting that over 31,000 hospital operations in 2023 were performed on children due to decay. Dr. Charlotte Eckhardt from the Royal College of Surgeons highlighted that supervised toothbrushing programs have proven effective in reducing decay but have been unevenly rolled out across the country.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock acknowledged the scandal of children suffering from preventable tooth decay and emphasized that the government is working on plans to reform NHS dentistry, including the expansion of supervised toothbrushing in deprived areas and the provision of additional dental appointments.
The statistics illustrate a pressing need for action to address the tooth decay crisis, particularly in areas of high deprivation. Preventive measures, such as better access to dental care and early intervention programs, are crucial to improving the oral health of young children across the UK.
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