§ Mr. JoplingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what number of teeth affected by decay in five-year-old children and what number of decayed, missing and filled teeth in 14-year-old children are found in the Morecambe Bay health authority's area; what is the national average for five and 14-year olds; and what changes, using the model of South Cheshire where fluorine is added to the water, he would expect to find in Morecambe Bay if water was similarly treated. [38223]
§ Mr. MaloneEvery two years, the British Association for the study of community dentistry conducts a survey of dental caries prevalence in children aged five throughout Great Britain, and every four years for 14-year-olds. The 1993–94 figures for five-year-olds' dental caries experience, and 1994–95 figures for 14-year-olds in the Morecambe Bay health authority show mean values for decayed, missing and filled teeth for five and 14-year-olds to be 2.28 and 2.22 respectively. The comparative five and 14-year-old figures for England are 1.74 and 1.67 respectively. Studies have consistently shown that the prevalence of dental decay in fluoridated areas is between one third to one half lower than in comparable non-fluoridated water areas.