AN alarming eight per cent of three-year-olds in Swindon have rotten baby teeth, it has emerged.

The figures, from the first oral health survey of the age group carried out in the UK, showed no fewer than 161 children, or around 7.9 per cent of three-year-olds in the town, have at least one decaying tooth. There are 2,797 toddlers aged three in Swindon.

However the figure, published by Public Health England (PHE), was the second lowest in the region and below the national average of 12 per cent for visible tooth decay.

Across Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, 11.5 per cent of three-year-olds examined were found to have tooth decay.

Decay is caused by consuming too many sugary foods and drinks too often.

Unless this is addressed, there is a much higher risk of further tooth decay in permanent adult teeth and throughout later life, PHE said.

It can be prevented by eating a healthy balanced diet, and also by brushing teeth for two minutes twice a day, once before bed, using fluoride toothpaste.

Dr Sandra White, director of dental public health at Public Health England, said: “Tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed, which is stressful for children and parents alike.”

In some cases a particular type of decay called Early Childhood Caries was found by the survey. This affects the upper front teeth spreading rapidly to other teeth and is related to the consumption of sugary drinks in baby bottles or sipping cups.

Dr Shona Arora, centre director for the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire PHE Centre, added: “Tooth decay in children can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle, by parents and carers reducing the amount of sugary foods and drinks they give their children and supporting them to brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, especially just before bedtime.”

Sarah Thomas, Clinical Director, Dental Service, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Children who have decayed teeth can suffer from distress and pain from this totally preventable condition. I would advise parents to follow the advice on tooth decay from Public Health England.”

Tips for keeping their teeth clean 

TO keep children’s teeth healthy, PHE is encouraging parents/carers of young children to:

  • reduce the amount and how often sugary foods and drinks are given
  • not add sugar to weaning foods or drinks
  • introduce drinking from a free-flow cup from six months of age and stop feeding from a bottle from 12 months of age
  • start brushing children’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears and supervise their tooth brushing until they are seven or eight years old. Brush children’s teeth twice daily, including just before bed, using a fluoride toothpaste
  • from the age of three, use only a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, for younger children a smear
  • use only sugar-free medicines.