The number of five-year-olds in the North East with rotting teeth is rising, as new data shows the region is one of the worst in the country for child tooth decay.
The latest statistics indicate a rise in tooth decay among five-year-olds in the North East, London, and the South West.
In the most deprived areas, 37 per cent of children suffer from tooth decay, more than double the 18 per cent in the least deprived areas.
Data highlights a clear North-South divide, with the highest percentages in northern England.
Official data reveals that up to 60.8 per cent of children in Manchester have tooth decay by five, with similar figures in other northern areas like Pendle and Salford.
While there has been a decrease in the percentage of children with tooth decay across England – from 29.3 per cent in 2022 to 26.9 per cent in 2024 – the North East has seen an increase from 26 per cent to 27.7 per cent.
One of the primary causes of enamel erosion is acids found in food and drink.
The report emphasised the importance of identifying children with enamel decay who do not yet have dentinal decay.
For dentinal decay alone, the percentage of affected children in England has slightly decreased from 23.7 per cent in 2022 to 22.4 per cent in 2024.
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.”
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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."
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