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Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend in oral health among young children in England, with Asian five-year-olds exhibiting a 70% higher likelihood of experiencing tooth decay compared to the national average. This data, released by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, highlights significant disparities in dental health among different demographics.
The report indicates that children living in the most disadvantaged areas face even graver challenges, with a staggering 32.2% of five-year-olds in these locales affected by tooth decay, in contrast to just 13.6% in the more affluent regions.
In the 2023-24 school year, about 22.4% of the surveyed schoolchildren were reported to have tooth decay, which translates to an average of 3.5 affected teeth per child. Notably, this figure demonstrates a slight decline from the previous year’s rate of 23.7%.
The survey also highlighted geographical disparities, revealing that children in the north-west of England were the most impacted, with a tooth decay prevalence of 28.7%. Specifically, Brent, a borough in north-west London, recorded the highest local authority rate, with 43.4% of children experiencing dental decay.
Ethnic disparities in dental health outcomes were further underscored by the report, showing that Asian children had the highest rates of tooth decay among all ethnic groups, with the exception of the “other” category, which had a rate of nearly half (45.4%). Within the Asian demographic, Pakistani children reported a higher prevalence of tooth decay at 43.2%, compared to 24.6% among their Chinese counterparts.
Over the years, from 2008 to 2017, England saw a reduction in dental decay prevalence among children, dropping from 30.9% to 23.3%. However, this positive trend has stagnated in more recent assessments, with only minor reductions reported between 2019 and 2022.
The report emphasized that inequalities in dental health among five-year-olds have largely plateaued since 2015. It stated, “Inequalities in prevalence of dental decay in five-year-old schoolchildren significantly reduced from 2008 to 2015 but there has been little change in inequalities since then.”
Amid these findings, the government has reiterated its commitment to reforming dental care across England, particularly in light of the rising costs associated with private dentistry and the diminishing availability of NHS dental services.
Source
www.theguardian.com