The number of five-year-olds in Wiltshire with rotting teeth is rising, as new data shows the regions that are the worst in the country for child tooth decay.
The latest statistics indicate a rise in tooth decay among five-year-olds in the South West.
Official data from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities shows as many as six in 10 children in some areas have rotting teeth by the age of five, with clear differences between poorer regions of England and the more affluent.
The data reveals that up to 12.1 per cent of children in Wiltshire have tooth decay by five, with similar figures in other South West regions.
The figures relate to five-year-olds with any enamel and/or dentinal decay and show that 37.0% of children in the most deprived areas are affected – more than double the 18.0% for the least deprived areas.
In the South West, the percentage has jumped from 23.3% to 24.2%, and one of the main causes of enamel erosion is acids found in food and drink.
Chairman Eddie Crouch, said: “This oral health gap was made in Westminster, with children paying the price for official failure to take dentistry seriously.
“A new Government calls this ‘Dickensian’, but it will take deeds not words to turn this around.”
The Royal College of Surgeons reported that approximately 47,581 children required tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in 2022/23, with 66 per cent attributed to decay.
Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the faculty of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “We’ve seen a slight improvement overall in the number of five-year-olds with tooth decay, but it is still too high.
“The fact that more than one in five children still suffer from an entirely preventable condition is concerning."
