Rates of Decay Fall Among 12-Year-Olds in Wales

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The proportion of Welsh 12-year-olds suffering from decay has fallen over the last decade, new statistics have confirmed.

A report by the Welsh Oral Health Unit shows that the proportion of children with no signs of decay has increased from 54.9 per cent in 2004/2005 to 64 per cent in 2013/2014. This represents around 19 decay-free children in a class of 30, compared to 16 in 2004.

The report confirms that there remains a significant link between dental decay and deprivation. However, there have been improvements in deprived areas.

The latest statistics echo the UK trend over the last 25 years and represent continued improvement in children’s dental health, which is largely due to better dental care. Mark Drakeford, health minister, said that the report brings welcome news and it is excellent that rates of decay have fallen again among 12-year-olds in Wales. Over the last 25 years, the prevalence of decay has decreased significantly and the future looks bright.

Health chiefs are hoping that the Designed to Smile programme, which was launched in 2009 with the view of educating young children about oral health and tackling decay in small children, will help to build on successes in the future. Statistics show that decay is very common in children aged 5 and under in Wales and dentists are hoping that the scheme will encourage parents and children to take better care of the teeth and gums.

Dr David Tuthill, consultant paediatrician at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Wales, said that despite the improvements, there is still a long way to go; Wales has the worst standards of children’s oral health in the UK and diet and poor oral hygiene at to blame.

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