Worrying level of child tooth decay

A worrying new survey has revealed that 12% of three year olds have tooth decay.

The reserach, published by Public Health England (PHE), found that those children affected had an average of 3 decayed teeth due to the disease.

There was a dramatic variation of tooth decay prevalence ranging from 2% to 34% across the country. However the large majority of children (88%) in this age group have no decay at all. This reflects trends of significant improvements in dental health since the introduction of fluoride toothpaste in 1976.

Tooth decay is caused by consuming too many sugary foods and drinks too often. Unless this lifestyle issue is addressed, there is a much higher risk of further tooth decay in permanent adult teeth and throughout later life. It can be prevented by eating a healthy balanced diet which limits the amount of foods and drinks high in sugar, and also by brushing teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, once before bed, using fluoride toothpaste.

In some cases a particular type of decay called ‘Early Childhood Caries’ was found by the survey. This affects the upper front teeth spreading rapidly to other teeth and is related to the consumption of sugary drinks in baby bottles or sipping cups. There is a much higher risk of tooth decay if sugary drinks are given to children so they should be avoided. Breast feeding provides the best nutrition for babies and the best drinks for young children aged 1 to 2 are full fat milk and water and from 2 years old, semi-skimmed milk and water as long as they are a good eater.

This is the first time a survey of this age group has been carried out nationally so the findings form a baseline from which PHE can continue to collect data. This will enable us to monitor trends and target resource appropriately to help local authorities tackle tooth decay in children.

To keep children’s teeth healthy, PHE is encouraging parents and carers of young children to:

reduce both the amount and how often sugary foods and drinks are given to them
not add sugar to weaning foods or drinks
aim to introduce drinking from a free-flow cup from 6 months of age and stop feeding from a bottle from 12 months of age
start brushing children’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears and supervise their tooth brushing until they are 7 or 8 years old. Brush children’s teeth twice daily, including just before bed, using a fluoride toothpaste
from the age of 3, use only a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, for younger children a smear
use only sugar-free medicines

Dr Sandra White, Director of Dental Public Health at PHE, said: "While there have been significant improvements to the nation’s oral health, some areas still experience problems with tooth decay among young children. Tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed under general anaesthetic, which is stressful for children and parents alike.

"Thankfully, tooth decay in children can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle; by parents and carers reducing the amount of sugary foods and drinks they give their children and supporting them to brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, especially just before bedtime. It is also important to take your child to the dentist, which is free of charge for children, as the dentist will be able to advise you about how to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy."