UK - Will your children be too ashamed to smile because of rotting teeth?

Tooth decay is the most common disease affecting children today and here in North East Lincolnshire, the strategy for tackling the issue is in the process of being updated. Chief Reporter Sarah Howson found out more.

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TOOTH decay and oral health in under fives in North East Lincolnshire is significantly higher than the national average.

The news came as the latest Children's Dental Health (CDH) survey revealed more than a third of 12-year-olds are too embarrassed by the state of their teeth to smile.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre released the findings of the latest ten-year survey, conducted in 2013, which showed more than a third (35 per cent) of 12-year-olds and 28 per cent of 15-year-olds made the shock admission.

In an officer's report presented to North East Lincolnshire Council's Health and Well Being board this week, it was revealed the latest figures gathered locally show 15 per cent of three-year-olds in the borough suffer tooth decay, compared to 11.7 per cent nationally.

And in five-year-olds the figure was even higher, with 31.4 per cent experiencing tooth decay, compared to 27.9 per cent nationally.

By the age of 12, children in North East Lincolnshire had significantly higher levels of oral disease (1.15 per cent) compared with England (0.74 per cent).

However, only 20.4 per cent had been given fillings, compared to an England average of 47 per cent.

The report also revealed that regionally, Yorkshire and the Humber was amongst the four worst regions in England for oral health in three-year-olds.

It said: "Tooth decay is now the most common disease affecting children and yet it is largely preventable.

"Between the ages of five and nine years it is also the most frequent reason for childhood admissions to hospital – it causes pain and infection and can impact on nutrition, growth, sleep and play.

"Failing to secure care when it is readily available can lead to neglect and safeguarding concerns. Good oral health can contribute to school readiness and reduce school absenteeism."

It added that the standard of oral health among local children varied depending on where they lived.

The report said: "Poor oral health is strongly associated with material deprivation.

"Those children living in the most deprived areas in North East Lincolnshire are more than twice as likely to have tooth decay by the age of five, compared with those living in the more affluent areas.

"Dental attendance within the previous 24 months up to April 2014 also indicate lower levels of attendance, especially in young children, compared with the rest of North Yorkshire and Humber and England."

A new action plan is also being formulated based on the latest data and there are already strategies in place to help tackle the issue, commissioned from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG), including:

Brushing For Life programme – a health visitor-led programme which encourages twice-daily toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first teeth appear.

Training in oral health – regular training for health and social care staff to ensure the latest messages are passed on to parents and carers.

Resources for schools – primary schools are given teaching materials.

Encouragement – clinical are tasked with using each contact with parents and carers to encourage them to make healthier choices.

Awareness events – National Smile Month, National No Smoking Day, Mouth Cancer Action Month are all used to help promote good oral health.

Parents are also being encouraged to sign up to the Change4Life campaign, which aims to cut down the amount of sugar children consume by making one or more simple swaps in their daily diet.

The scheme highlights four areas for parents to think about:

• The Breakfast Swap: sugary cereal for plain cereal such as a wholewheat biscuit cereal.
• The Drink Swap: sugary drinks to sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks.
• The After School Swap: from muffins to fruited teacake.
• The Pudding Swap: from ice cream to low-fat lower-sugar yoghurt.

Councillor Peter Wheatley, portfolio holder for health and chair of the health and wellbeing board, said: "Reducing sugar intake is important for the health of our children now and in the future. We are all eating too much sugar and the impact this has on our health is evident.

"Past national campaigns have shown that making simple swaps works and makes a real difference and this year's is focusing on sugar alone. Simple swaps could lead to big changes if sustained over time and we'd urge parents across the borough to try one more simple swap in January and beyond.

"We know that mums want to provide a healthy diet for their children but balancing a number of competing priorities, including healthy eating, can be tricky. Although sugar consumption is a worry for parents, we understand that taking steps to reduce sugar can be really difficult.

"We hope that these simple Sugar Swaps from Change4Life will make it easier for parents to reduce their family's sugar intake."