MORE than a third of children in England and Wales have decayed or missing teeth or fillings by the age of five.

The worst-hit cities include Middlesbrough, Manchester and Nottingham, and in the very worst areas — in South Wales — more than three quarters of five-year-olds suffer tooth decay.

Dentists blame the problems on sugary foods and fizzy drinks.

The study of 240,000 five and six-year-olds by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, shows that, despite health campaigns encouraging children to avoid the most damaging foods, levels of decay remain stubbornly high.

Some dentists warn that childhood dental problems may get even worse because of a shortage of NHS dentists, with long queues forming when places on health service dental lists become available.

In March last year 64% of children and 45% of adults were registered with an NHS dentist in England.

Recent research by the British Dental Association among more than 600 dentists in England and Wales found that 85% believed the new dental contract had not improved access to NHS dentistry.

In addition, 93% of those who responded believed that the new contract did not encourage better prevention of tooth decay.

The latest figures, for 2005-06, show that, for England and Wales overall, 39% of five-year-olds have decayed, missing or filled teeth, a slight improvement from 40% in 2003-04.

The worst rates are in Merthyr Tydfil, with 76%, and Blaenau Gwent with 70%.

Dr Derek Watson, chief executive of the Dental Practitioners Association, said: “We should have expected a greater decrease in tooth decay. It was an issue when I qualified in 1981 and I did not think then that, 26 years later, it would still be such a problem.

“The reason we have so much tooth decay is that we eat more sugar than we think. We have the sweetest tooth in Europe. Fruit juice may cause erosion, but tooth decay, the black holes in children’s teeth, is caused almost entirely by sugar. Parents and grandparents continue to give children sweets and so children crave them. They regard giving sweets as a token of love and fail to take the consequences seriously enough. If we cut sugar out of our diet we would end tooth decay.”

The findings have also prompted renewed calls for the fluoridation of water supplies. In the West Midlands, where the water is fluoridated, less than a third of children, 31%, had decayed teeth.

The report’s author, Professor Nigel Pitts, director of Dundee University’s dental health services research unit, said: “There is clear evidence that mass fluoridation would help. Even within towns and cities, however, there is great variation in levels of decay.”

Children in Mid-Essex have the best teeth in England with just 21% having missing, decayed or filled teeth by the age of five, followed by Solihull with 22% and south Staffordshire with 23%.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said that a ban on all junk-food advertising before 9pm would reduce tooth decay.

“At a time when so many people are confused about access to NHS dentistry, we really need to do more to improve our children’s diet,” he said.

What are the rates of child tooth decay in your area? See www.bascd.org/viewdocpool.php?id=72

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