Local authority leaders have urged the Government to take urgent action to address ‘stark inequalities in oral health’.
The Government’s oral health survey of five-year-old children for 2023/2024 shows that there has been a small decrease in the prevalence of dental decay – from 23.7% in 2022 to 22.4% in 2024.
However, it also revealed high levels of inequality with children in the most deprived areas twice as likely to experience dental decay compared to those in the least deprived areas (32.2% compared to 13.6%).
Responding to the figures, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said the figures highlight ‘stark inequalities in oral health.’
He added: ‘We must take urgent action to reduce tooth decay in children, particularly in the most disadvantaged communities. The Government should use the upcoming Spending Review to invest in council-run oral health improvement programmes.’
