Children’s Oral Health In Bolton Among Worse In UK
Rates of decay in Bolton are among the worst in the UK, according to a recent report, which focused on children.
According to a report, which was compiled by Public Health England, four out of ten five year old children in Bolton have signs of tooth decay, a figure, which is much higher than the national average. The statistics show that Bolton has a worse track record than Manchester, where 37 per cent of children have signs of tooth decay and the North West in general, where 34 per cent of children have dental decay.
Bolton Council, which is responsible for public health in the town, issued a statement saying that more work needs to be done to reduce the number of children with dental decay and to promote oral hygiene and healthy eating habits.
The council has already launched oral health initiatives, including a Brush Bus and Brushing for Life programme, but admitted that more needs to be done and there is still a long way to go, as the figures confirm.
A spokesman for the council said that there have been significant improvements in standards of oral health in recent years, but there is clearly still a long way to go and the council will continue to support oral health programmes and tackle issues, which are contributing to high rates of dental decay among children in the town.
Despite the worrying statistics, there is some good news for Bolton, as the average number of decayed teeth per child has fallen significantly from 3.23 in 2008 to 1.85 in 2012.
The survey revealed considerable regional differences in terms of oral health standards, with only half the number of children aged five years old suffering from decay in the South East compared to the North West.
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