The level of tooth decay is higher among Irish children than those in Britain, the annual seminar of the Public Dental Surgeons Group in Wexford has heard.
Oral health researcher Dr Carmel Parnell said that more than one in five Irish eight-year-olds had experienced decay in their permanent teeth while half of 12-year-olds had tooth decay. That figure rose to 75 per cent for 15-year-olds.
She said the severity of decay being experienced by Irish children was also of concern. "A substantial proportion of children at five, 12 and 15 years of age have experienced decay in five teeth or more," Dr Parnell said.
While there is no national data on the oral health of preschool children, she said local surveys provided grounds for concern. One such survey found that 27 per cent of three-year-olds had decay.
Dr Parnell said oral health education should be incorporated into the Social and Personal Health Education [SPHE] programme in the school curriculum. Children who were felt to be at high risk of tooth decay should have fissure sealants applied and maintained in vulnerable teeth, she added.
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