Statistics from Public Health England have revealed that over 30% of young children in Warrington have decayed, missing, or filled teeth as a result of bad dental hygiene. Five-year-olds in the North West currently top the regional table for poor dental health, with around 34.8% of children suffering tooth decay. Although this figure has dropped from 38.1% since 2009, it is still above the national average of 27.9%.
The percentage shows that primary school pupils in the town have at least one tooth missing or in some stage of decay; the North West average is 1.29, compared to the 0.94 national average.
A council spokesman said ‘We recognise that Warrington is higher than the national average for tooth decay in children of five and this does cause us concern, that is why we are working with our oral health unit and local dentists to ensure children and their parents are educated on good dental health.’
He went on to advise parents to limit the amount of sugary drinks and snacks their children consume and to teach them how to brush their teeth properly every day using fluoride tooth paste. He also added ‘Work is on-going to promote good oral health through schools and children’s networks and dentists do apply a topical fluoride varnish to children’s teeth to help protect them against decay, this is applied every 3-6 months.’