Smiles all round as borough’s childhood tooth decay rate improves

The percentage of five years olds in Blackburn with Darwen with tooth decay has fallen by 16% in six years.

Back in 2018/19 Blackburn with Darwen had the highest proportion of five year olds experiencing tooth decay in England, with 51% of our five year olds having at least one decayed, missing or filled tooth.

Data published this week, through the latest National Dental Epidemiology Programme oral health survey, shows that 34.8% of the borough’s five year olds have experience of tooth decay.

This survey is carried out every two years.

Councillor Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:

Since the launch of our Childhood Oral Health Strategy in 2022, we’ve been working closely with a range of partners to tackle the rates of tooth decay among young children in our borough, and work towards better oral hygiene. I’m really pleased with the results of the latest survey.

Of course, the work doesn’t end here. While we’re proud of how far we have come since 2019, we will continue to keep up the momentum of our oral health work, to bring tooth decay rates down further. We’ve developed some really strong working relationships with a range of local agencies right across Blackburn with Darwen that have been a part of this journey. Thank you to all of them for their contributions and enthusiasm for this important piece of work that really has made a difference to the smiles of our young children.

It’s pleasing that these latest survey results show we are moving in the right direction.

Projects that have contributed to this 16% reduction in tooth decay rates in five year olds in Blackburn with Darwen include:

• The AP Smilestars supervised brushing scheme runs in over 80 early years settings such as school reception classes, children’s centres and nurseries, to equip young children with the skills to look after their own teeth – already this has reached around 4,500 children
• Staff working with children in early years settings and other key staff, such as health visitors, receive in-person oral health training annually, plus regular refreshers, through the AP Smilestars team
• Oral Health Parent Champion networks offer peer support in the community
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes and sippy cups are provided to children at their 8 to 12 month checks through Health Visitor teams, to encourage good oral hygiene from a very young age
• Working with NHS England to ensure every child is registered with a dentist by the age of one year
• Targeted education programmes run in schools with the highest rates of tooth decay, including the Give Up Loving Pop (GULP) education campaign.

Dr Jo Prasad, Principal Dentist at Blackburn-based AP Smilecare, commented:

It’s fantastic to see the significant improvement in childhood oral health in Blackburn with Darwen. The reduction in tooth decay rates reflects the power of early intervention and education.

Thank you to the schools, nurseries and early year settings that have been involved in the programme. Their hard work will ensure that children not only grow up with healthier teeth but also develop habits that will last a lifetime.

Abdul Razaq, Director of Public Health, added:

The importance of good oral hygiene cannot be understated; it has a huge impact on children’s general wellbeing, their eating, their speech, their self-esteem, and even their education.

Tackling children’s oral health is complex and has been addressed through a lens of focussing on what works, support, education and behaviour change, working with a range of very supportive local partners.

I’m proud of the work of the Public Health team and partners in Blackburn with Darwen and its impact on local children’s health and wellbeing.

 

 

Notes to editors

The National Dental Epidemiology Programme oral health survey takes place every two years in order to collect oral health information of five year olds who attend mainstream, state-funded schools across England. It is carried out as part of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) National Dental Epidemiology Programme (NDEP).