Health: Young teeth suffer lack of fluoride

Children in parts of the UK where fluoride is not added to water supplies have up to seven times more tooth decay than those living elsewhere, a report said today.

Particular black spots were identified in the north-west, north, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and inner London. Five-year-olds with the worst teeth were most likely to live in the poorest regions of areas which did not receive fluoridated water, it was claimed. One in three of these children had undergone tooth extraction under general anaesthetic by the age of five. The figures were published by the National Alliance Against Dental Health Inequalities, representing 31 medical, dental and voluntary organisations. Fluoridated parts of the West Midlands, including some with high levels of social deprivation, had the best tooth decay record for children.