Only three per cent of children in England visit dentist before their first birthday, study finds

Analysing the 2016/17 NHS Dental Statistics for England Annual Report, researchers at the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Public Health England, also found that nationally only 12 per cent of children had visited the dentist by their second birthday.

The research, published in Community Dental Health, also found that there were significant variations between local authority areas in the rate of children visiting dentists with, surprisingly, a higher number of children in areas of deprivation visiting the dentist compared to those in more affluent areas. 

One of the lowest rates of dental attendance for children aged under one was in West Berkshire, where attendance was less than one per cent, while deprivation in the area was ranked low. In comparison, the highest rate of attendance in children aged under one was 12.3 per cent in South Tyneside, which is one of the most deprived local authorities in England.