Tooth Decay Affecting A Third Of 12 Year Olds

Thu, 11 Nov 2010

A new study has revealed that one in three 12-year-olds in the UK have rotten teeth .

The national NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme, which was carried out by researchers at the Liverpool John Moores University, found that a third of British 12-year-olds suffer from tooth decay .

It also discovered large regional differences, with half of children in some areas suffering from decay.

Southwark in London was one of the best performing regions, with just 13 per cent of children having decayed teeth, compared with over half (56 per cent) of children in Knowsley in the North West.

However, the NHS figures showed that there has been an improvement in overall standards of dental health among children, with the percentage of 12-year-olds with decayed, filled or missing teeth falling from 37 per cent in 2001 to 33 per cent in 2008/9.

Sue Gregory, Deputy Chief Dental Officer at the Department of Health, said: "Strategies which support eating healthily, tooth brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and following the personal advice offered by dental professionals offer the best chance of securing further improvements in dental heath and a reduction in inequalities."

But Health Minister Lord Howe said that more "can and should be done to tackle persistent inequalities" in children’s oral health .
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