Postcode lottery?

The report released by charity The National Children’s Bureau shows a huge gap in levels of oral health as well as obesity, injury and early childhood development for under-fives across the country.

It confirms that the health and development of children under five is closely linked to the affluence of the area they grow up in, with those living in deprived areas far more likely to suffer poor health.

Comparing the 30 most deprived local authorities with the 30 best-off, it illustrates that, while only 18.4 per cent of children living in the 30 richest areas suffer from tooth decay, this rises substantially to 31.6 per cent of four to five year olds in the 30 most deprived.

Now, in light of this report, which analysed data from Public Health England, dental therapists are calling for an across the board health summit to tackle this issue as a matter of urgency.

Fiona Sandom, president of the British Association of Dental Therapists (BADT), said: ‘There has been much activity of late with many interested parties lobbying for more to be done to fight this health crisis within dentistry – the British Dental Association (BDA), the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) and the BADT are all behind various campaigns to turn the tide of children’s tooth decay figures, especially in poorer areas of the country.