Prevalence and severity of tooth decay

Tooth decay is very common in children in England and children with tooth decay typically have 3 or 4 decayed teeth. The oral health survey of five-year-olds in 2022 found 1 in 4 five-year-olds in England have tooth decay and this proportion is nearly double in deprived areas. For three-year-olds, the oral health survey in 2020 found that 11% have visible tooth decay affecting their front teeth.