SCORES of Swindon children have been given tooth fillings before they are old enough to start primary school, figures show.

Doctors pulled out the crumbling teeth of 60 children under four years old in 2016-17, the latest year for which figures are available.

The number of children aged five to nine whose decayed teeth were so bad they required medical treatment has jumped by 44 per cent in five years. In 2016-17, 242 primary school aged children were seen by doctors.

Public health bosses have blamed the rise on children consuming too much sugar. Public Health England, who released the latest data, said that tooth decay could be prevented if children cut down on sugary drinks and snacks and make sure they brush twice a day using fluoride toothpaste.

Jayne Hall, owner of Freshbrook Dental Practice, said that in the last year they had treated one pre-school child for cavities. “A majority of their baby teeth were decayed,” she said.

The experienced dental nurse agreed that she had seen a rise in the number of children with cavities. She blamed parents for handing their children sugary sweets, saying that there needed to be better education for both parents and youngsters.

“We work right next to the school,” she said. “The number of parents we see coming out and taking the children in the shops and buying them a treat after school. People don’t understand what sugar does and what snacking does.”

Ms Hall added the kinds of sugary foods they ate was important – currants stick to the surface of the teeth and are worse for young gnashers than chocolate.

Public Health England have said that tooth extraction is the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged five to nine. Nationally, 141 children a day – some as young as one years old – are having teeth removed. Around 60,000 school days are skipped each year by children absent due to tooth decay, public health bosses said.

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