UK - Third of children hit by tooth decay

Third of children hit by tooth decay
By Adam Stones
Last Updated: 1:15am BST 16/04/2007
More than a third of British children have suffered tooth decay, missing teeth or fillings by the age of five.
Dentists say parents' careless regard for their children's sugar intake is the root cause of the problem. The study of 240,000 children aged five and six was carried out by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry.
It revealed that 38 per cent were affected in England, 46 per cent in Scotland and 53 per cent in Wales. In some parts of the country three quarters of five-year-olds suffering tooth decay.
England, this meant that the problem had improved by only one per cent since the previous survey in 2004, despite high-profile campaigns to improve diets.
Derek Watson, chief executive of the Dental Practitioners Association, said: "I am not surprised by the figures - just disappointed. We should have expected a greater decrease. We know what causes it and we know how to prevent it. If we cut sugar out of our diet we would end tooth decay. But if we really want to prevent it, we have to make it worthwhile for the dentists.
"There is no point cutting their budget by half if they cut the level of decay by half - we need to tell them that if they cut patients from 10 to five, they will be paid for eight. It makes economic sense for the dentist and it cuts tooth decay - everyone's a winner. There has been no serious attempt to look at prevention for over 20 years and that's criminal."
Children in Mid-Essex have the best teeth in England with just 21 per cent having tooth decay. Middlesborough, 60 per cent, and Manchester, 61 per cent, were among the worst areas.
The highest level in Scotland was found in Glasgow, 53 per cent, and the lowest level was in the Forth Valley, 32 per cent.
The highest rate in Wales was in Merthyr Tydfil, 76 per cent, with the lowest rate being in Conwy, 41 per cent.