A survey of 140,000 state schoolchildren found 31 per cent were already showing obvious signs of tooth decay.

The study was conducted by the new NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme but may be an underestimate of the problem as parents were asked to provide specific consent for their child's teeth to be examined and so those with the worst dental health may have opted out, the authors warned.

Previous studies have suggested as many as 60 per cent of five-year-olds have some level of dental decay although improvements have been made in recent years.

The children who had tooth decay had on average between three and four teeth which were either filled, extracted or were showing obvious signs of damage.

Levels of tooth decay varied around the country with the highest levels in the North East where 40 per cent of five-year-olds had damaged teeth compared with under a quarter in the South East Coast region.

Sue Gregory, Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England, said: "We are pleased to see that most five-year-olds don't suffer the effects of obvious tooth decay, and by the age of twelve our children's teeth are among the healthiest in Europe.

"We need to sustain and improve on this position. Dental decay is preventable and we need to focus on programmes which will ensure that in future all young children benefit from good oral health.

"Brushing for Life already gives free toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste and advice to children in areas where tooth decay is a problem, and we are advising dentists to give all children over the age of three applications of fluoride varnish every six months to protect their teeth."

• Cure Tooth Decay Naturally By
  Identifying The Real Cause of Cavities

Reference Source 172
October 21, 2009