Children and teenagers have less decay in their teeth than ten years ago, but plaque and gum disease are on the rise, a new survey reveals.
Obvious tooth decay has fallen among all age groups, but there are still significant inequalities between children in different parts of the UK, and between those from deprived and affluent neighbourhoods.
Children in northern Ireland had the highest levels of tooth decay and those in England the lowest.
Three quarters of children in all age groups report brushing their teeth twice daily. Electric toothbrushes are commonly used and adjuncts such as mouthwashes and dental or sugar-free chewing gum are used by almost half of 15 year olds.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/Executive_Summary-CDH.PDF
