Shocking figures show our children have some of the worst teeth in England

Children in parts of Greater Manchester have among the worst teeth in England, shocking new figure show.

The rate of children in Manchester, Salford and other parts of the region having dental work including fillings and root canal surgery is among the highest in the country.

NHS data scrutinised by the MEN shows that children in Manchester were having a tooth filled every three minutes on average last year.

The news comes 12 months after the MEN revealed that almost half of five-year-olds in Salford and Oldham now have decayed, missing or filled teeth.

One senior dentist has told the MEN he is ‘heartbroken’ when he sees the state of some children’s teeth in Greater Manchester.

Dr Ben Atkins, who runs six dental surgeries in the region, said: “As a dentist, it destroys you every time you see tooth decay. It’s totally preventable.”

He has urged parents and grandparents to take more care of their children’s teeth by ensuring they brush them twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and give them milk and water instead of sugary drinks.

Figures released by Health and Social Care Information Centre show that children in Salford had the fifth highest rate of root canal treatments in 2013/14.

Manchester also had the tenth highest rate for children who have had permanent fillings and sealant repairs.

Bury had the third highest rate in the country of children who have had their teeth veneered. Children in Bury are also three times more likely and in Salford twice more likely to have had veneers compared with the national average.

The figures also show that eight out of ten children in Central Manchester and Salford have been seen by a dentist in the past two years - among the highest rates in England.

Separate figures last September showed that the proportion of five-year-olds with tooth decay is above the national average in all but one of the region’s ten districts - Stockport.

Public health chiefs say there is still much to do to reduce the inequalities in levels of dental decay.

Dr Atkins said: “Parents have total control over what their children eat and drink. It’s about educating people and getting the simple message out there to brush their children’s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.”