New Labour, new redistribution

["Michael Keaney" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Tooth decay worst among children in the north

Angelique Chrisafis
Friday August 31, 2001
The Guardian

Children in the north have the worst tooth decay in Britain and are to
receive free toothbrushes to stem the north-south poverty
divide that is rotting their teeth.

Around 25% of three-year-olds in Manchester have black stumps where
their milk teeth should be, the government revealed
yesterday. Hazel Blears, the health minister and MP for Salford, began
handing out free toothbrushes yesterday as part of a
scheme targeting the worst areas for tooth decay. Three quarters of the
country's black spots fall in the north west and Yorkshire.

Ms Blears said the cause of tooth decay was poverty and deprivation.

She said: "Most recent figures show that more than 60% of five-year-olds
now experience no tooth decay at all. But research also
shows that in some deprived areas children can experience three times
the amount of dental decay compared with children from
more affluent areas."

The government scheme will give free toothbrushes and toothpaste to more
than 1m children. Children in nurseries will be taught
how to brush their teeth, and techniques will be demonstrated to
parents.

Ministers hope that by 2003 no five-year-old will have more than one
decayed, missing or filled tooth and 70% of five-year-olds will
have no tooth decay at all.

Of the 21 heath authorities with the highest level of tooth decay - 11
are in the north- west and five are in Yorkshire. Among the
worst are Liverpool, Manchester, Bury, Rochdale, Bradford and St Helens.


A survey of 700 three-year-olds in Manchester by the health education
authority found that nearly one quarter suffered from
"rampant" tooth decay in their front teeth. At least 40% showed signs of
general tooth decay, and 50% had five or more rotten
teeth.

Tony Jenner, north-west regional consultant in dental health, said tooth
decay in the area was the result of bad education and
poor diet.

"There is only one cause of tooth decay and that is sugar in food and
drinks. In the urban hinterlands of the north-west, the
quality of people's diets is at its worst. Also, people in the
north-west use less flouride toothpaste than people in other parts of
the country. This suggests that people in deprived areas use no
toothpaste at all, because their means do not stretch to it or
because it is not a priority."

The British Dental Foundation said, nationally, 30% of four-year-olds
experienced tooth decay.

Full article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,544622,00.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx