HC Deb 24 April 1991 vol 189 cc472-3W
Mr. Jopling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the incidence of decayed, missing or filled teeth among 12-year-olds in the South and East Cumbria health authorities' areas; which of the Northern region's 16 authorities had a higher figure; and if he will estimate the reduction which might ensue if South and East Cumbria's whole population received water at optimum fluoride levels, if the response was similar to that over the United Kingdom as a whole where water supplies had been brought to the World Health Organisation's optimum level.

Mr. Dorrell

The most recent survey of caries prevalence conducted for the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 1988–89 showed the following results in the 16 health districts in the northern region:

District Decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth
South Cumbria 1.82
South Tees 1.80
North Tees 1.64
Northumberland 1.55
East Cumbria 1.53
Darlington 1.39
South Tyneside 1.38

District Decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth
Durham 1.38
South West Durham 1.36
West Cumbria 1.32
North West Durham 1.32
Sunderland 1.30
North Tyneside 1.25
Newcastle 1.22
Gateshead 0.91
Hartlepool 0.71

In the north-west Durham, Newcastle, Gateshead and Hartlepool districts all 12-year-old schoolchildren are likely to have received fluoridated water at a level of 0.7 parts per million and over since birth. The incidence of decayed, missing or filled teeth in those districts which are similar to other districts where water fluoridation has been introduced at the World Health Organisation optimum level, is an indication how the dental health of schoolchildren in south and east Cumbria could be improved. Hartlepool has the best record in England and Wales.

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