7 facts about child dental health in 2013

  • By Rob Fry

How do we find out about the dental health of children?

The facts here are based on data collected through the Child Dental Health Survey (CDHS), which has been carried out every 10 years since 1973.

The CDHS in 2013 involved around 10,000 children aged 5, 8, 12 and 15 years-old across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All children had a dental examination, and their parents were asked to fill out a parent questionnaire. The 12 and 15 year-olds were also asked to complete a pupil questionnaire.

1. Most children brushed their teeth at least twice a day 1

82% of UK 5 year-olds brushed their teeth at least twice a day in 2013, compared to 78% in 2003. For 8 year-olds the figures were 84% and 78 respectively; for 12 year-olds the figures were 79% and 76% respectively and for 15 year-olds the figures were 84% and 80% respectively.

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2. Children eligible for free school meals were less likely to be in ‘good overall oral health’ than those not eligible 2

41% of UK 5-year olds eligible for free school meals had good overall oral health in 2013 compared to 55%% who were not eligible. For 8 year-olds the figure was 25% and 35% respectively; for 12 year-olds the figure was 28% and 39% respectively; for 15 year-olds the figure was 18% and 32% respectively and in total the figure was 29% and 40% respectively.

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3. 82% of 12 and 15 year olds attended the dentist for a regular check-up 3

82% of UK 12 and 15 year olds attended the dentist for a regular check-up.

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4. Tooth decay has declined for 12 and 15 year olds since 1983 4

81% of UK 12 year-olds had obvious decay experience (excluding visual dentine caries in permanent teeth) in 1983. In 1993 the percentage was 52%. In 2003 it was 33% and in 2013 28%. For 15 year-olds, the figure was 93% in 1983, 63% in 1993, 48% in 2003 and 42% in 2013.

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5. 31% of 12 and 15 year olds said they were embarrassed to smile or laugh because of their teeth and 21% said they had difficulty eating 5

21% of UK 12 and 15 year-olds had difficulty eating (within the last 3 months) in 2013, and 31% were embarrassed smiling or laughing.

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6. While girls were more likely to report good or very good oral health, they were also more likely to report dissatisfaction with the appearance of their teeth 6

64% of UK males aged 12 or 15 rated their dental health as good or very good in 2013. For females the figure was 77%. 14% of UK males aged 12 or 15 were dissatisfied with appearance of their teeth in 2013. For females the figure was 18%.

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7. Toothbrushing, dental check-ups and what we drink all affect our dental health 7

Brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, limiting the amount of sugar we eat and drink and going to the dentist for regular check-ups all promote good oral health.

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For more information, please contact: enquiries@hscic.gov.ukhscic_small