One-in-six children across UK now have rotting teeth according to damning survey
One in six children now have rotting teeth, according to a damning national survey.
The Oral Health Survey of 53,000 school children in Year 6 reveals 16% had decayed teeth. Of those with rotting molars the survey showed they had on average two decayed teeth. The survey of 10 and 11 year olds showed almost a quarter of those living in poorer areas had rotting teeth.
It comes after the Mirror launched a campaign to tackle the collapse in access to NHS dentists. Newly-released data shows four in ten children were not accessing regular NHS dental check-ups last year. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: “For a generation, ministers have failed to grasp that decay and deprivation go hand in hand.
“This Government likes to talk about prevention but has offered nothing. Our youngest patients are continuing to pay the price.” Some 125 out of 153 local authorities commissioned the survey, polling around 250 Year 6 pupils each. It revealed 3% of pupils had pain in their teeth or mouths often or very often while 2% reported to have had difficulty biting or chewing firm foods in the past three months.
Schoolchildren living in Yorkshire and The Humber were more likely to have experienced tooth decay at 23% compared with 12% in the South West. Those in the most deprived areas of the country were more than twice as likely to have experience of tooth decay at 23% compared to 10% in the least deprived areas.
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It comes after a BBC investigation found 90% of NHS dentists are not taking on new adult patients. Shadow Health Minister Preet Kaur Gill said: "The Conservatives have left NHS dentistry to rot, and now our children's teeth are rotting too. It's shocking that thousands of children have pain in their mouths that is so bad they are struggling to eat. No child should be suffering through toothache at school.
“Labour has a fully-costed plan to rescue NHS dentistry by gripping the immediate crisis and reforming the service in the long-term. We will provide 700,000 urgent appointments, recruit new dentists to the areas most in need, and introduce a targeted national toothbrushing scheme to 3-5 year olds, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.”
NHS dentistry has seen a decade-long funding squeeze under the Tories. The overall NHS dentistry budget for England has remained at around £3 billion for a decade despite inflation and increased demand. The BDA estimates it has fallen by £1 billion in real terms.
Patients have been contributing more to this budget through inflation-busting hikes in NHS fees. A check up now costs £25.80, up from £16.50, and a filling £70.70, up from £45.60. This has meant less well-off patients putting off treatment that nips problems in the bud, contributing to worsening oral health of the nation.
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