A quarter of children in Jersey have tooth decay by the age of five

Monday 17 August 2015

An independent report on dental health in Jersey has found 26.3% of five-year-old children examined in March 2014 had signs of tooth decay.

The Survey of Children’s Oral Health ‘Epidemiology Report’ identified 174 children with evidence of untreated decay, extracted or missing teeth, or fillings due to decay.

On average the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (dmft) across the 659 children surveyed was 0.57 compared to 0.67 in the South East of England and 0.94 in England as a whole.

The survey, commissioned by the Departments of Health and Social Services and Social Security, used the same British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) methodologies as used in UK data, allowing direct comparison.

In 2012, 27.9% of children in England were found to have evidence of tooth decay.

Waiting times in Jersey are up to 16 months for a first, routine dental appointment, while if treatment is required, waiting time for routine orthodontic treatment could be two and a half years. 

There are no targets for waiting times in Jersey although urgent cases are supposed to be seen within two weeks and referrals categorised by the consultant as ‘soon’ should be seen within six-eight weeks.

Of the children in the survey with evidence of dmft, 59% had signs of untreated tooth decay. 

Mr Michael Cassidy, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, said: “The bottom line is that dental decay is entirely preventable – a bad diet with high levels of sugar will lead to dental problems, as well as other health problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. A good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and brushing teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste will avoid these problems. 

“We haven’t surveyed adults in the same way, but I would anticipate that if a survey of 50-year-olds was to be carried out, the results would be similar in showing that those with poor diets had the highest levels of dental decay.”