The Child Dental Health Survey 2013 of England, Wales and Northern Ireland reveals significant drops in the level of tooth decay in 12 and 15 year olds compared to 2003. One in three 12-year olds and less than half (46 per cent) of 15-year olds now show signs of obvious dental decay, a reduction from 43 per cent and 56 per cent compared to 2003.

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The severity of tooth decay also fell, with the number of children suffering from serious tooth decay falling from one in three to one in five of 15 year olds and from three in 10 to one in five of 12 year olds.

Oral health problems were most severe in Wales and Northern Ireland, with two in five children (41 and 40 per cent respectively) suffering from the disease compared to three in ten (31 per cent) in England.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation said: It's always pleasing to see any level of improvements in oral health, particularly for children. Having said that, it is very much a mixed bag of results.

‘Many of these children are starting school with tooth decay and carrying in through their education. Three in 10 five year olds have visible signs of decay yet by the time they reached 15 that shoots up to close to one in two. This still highlights significant room for improvement.

‘There is a wealth of evidence to suggest childhood tooth decay is very much associated with deprivation. Even in this survey children who were from lower income families and eligible for free school meals are more likely to have oral disease than other children of the same age.

‘They highlight a clear need for water fluoridation to help tackle these differences, particularly in the more deprived areas of the country.’