Dental Decay Crisis in Bolton, as Rates of Decay Among the Worst in the Country

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Rates of decay among five year children in Bolton are among the worst in the country, it has been revealed.

A state of crisis has been declared by leading dentists in the area, with some claiming to have treated children as young as 3 years old for severe dental decay. Dr Michael Cahill, from Cahill Dental Care Centre, said that it is very upsetting to see young children suffering with decay, as it is a preventable disease.

The situation in Bolton is made even worse by the fact that a third of children are not registered with a dentist. The latest figures show that 70 per cent of children have access to an NHS dentist, but this still means that 30 per cent do not and this figure is far too high, according to Nicki Lomax, from NHS Bolton.

Ms Lomax, a consultant in public health, addressed councillors at Bolton Town Hall earlier this week and informed them that currently, rates of decay among 5 year olds are the 7th highest in the UK.

Many dentists in Bolton have been calling for water fluoridation for years, but the most recent application to add fluoride to the water supplies was rejected in 2011. NHS North West drew up proposals in 2008/2009, but the scheme was shelved due to high running costs.

David Crausby, local MP, described the recent figures as “appalling” and blamed a consistent lack of investment in local dental services over a prolonged period of time. He accused consecutive governments of letting people down and also said that more needs to be done to educate parents about the risks of dental disease.

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