New figures reveal over 10% of 3-year-olds in Bedford have decay
New figures published by Public Health England suggest that over 10% of three-year-olds in Bedford have tooth decay.
Statistics show that 1 in 8 three-year-olds have signs of decay. This equates to around 12% of toddlers in the town. In cases where children were found to have experienced symptoms of decay in the last two years, the average child had three rotten teeth.
The latest figures for Bedford indicate that standards of oral health have declined, with 10.8% of three-year-olds showing signs of decay in 2013. The rate in Bedford was significantly higher than the average figure in the East of England region (6.7%) and slightly higher than the average for England as a whole (10.7%).
The authors of the report stated that the figures across England are alarming, as decay is almost always preventable. Tooth decay can cause children pain as well as impacting their social lives, their performance at school and their experiences at pre-school and nursery and their health and nutrition. Children with dental problems often have to take time out of school, with many parents forced to take time off work to take their children to the dentist or to a hospital if the teeth need extracting. Decay is the most common reason children undergo treatment in hospital in the UK.
The British Dental Association has responded to the figures, highlighting significant differences between rates of decay in affluent and deprived areas. Eddie Crouch, chair, said that there was “no reason why decay and deprivation still go hand in hand” in the 21st century in a wealthy country like the UK.
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