The oral health of children in the UK has improved over the past ten years, although a large number of infants do still have dental cavities, a new report reveals.
Commissioned by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the 2013 Children's Dental Health Survey is only the fifth in a series of questionnaires conducted by the body since 1973.
It looks at the oral health of almost 10,000 children in the UK, showing that nearly half (46 per cent) of 15-year-olds have some form of tooth decay.
What's more, one-third of children aged five and just under 50 per cent of eight-year-olds are already showing signs of cavities in their milk teeth.
However, in comparison to the survey results collected a decade ago, the number of cavities children have has decreased, with 34 per cent of 12-year-olds reported to have tooth decay in 2013, down from 46 per cent in 2003.
A similar fall was recorded for those aged 15, with a reduction from 56 per cent to 46 per cent over the ten-year period.
Altogether, the survey reveals that 32 per cent of five-year-old children have tooth decay, as well as 28 per cent of ten-year-olds, indicating that poor oral health in relation to milk teeth continues as young individuals get their adult teeth, despite regular brushing helping to prevent this from being the case.
Speaking to BBC News, director of dental public health at Public Health England Dr Sandra White commented: 'Tooth decay is a serious, preventable disease and this survey echoes the need to urgently reduce the amount of sugary snacks and drinks in our children's diets.'
Fluoride is indisputable in preventing tooth decay and by brushing teeth using fluoride toothpaste and also introducing water fluoridation where needed, we can significantly improve our children's dental health.'
It was not just poor management of oral hygiene that was found to be a problem though, as the survey results showed factors such as the wealth status of a child's background could also play a part in determining the condition of their teeth.