Dental health

Oral health is an integral part of overall health; when children are not healthy this affects their ability to learn, thrive and develop.

Improving the oral health of children links to a key national policy: Getting the Best Start in Life, with poor oral health being a priority under Best Start in Life. The indicator showing the percentage of five year olds with experience of visually obvious dentinal decay allows benchmarking of oral health of young children across England, and is an excellent proxy measure of assessing the impact of the commissioning of oral health improvement programmes on the local community. Dental caries is a synonymous term for tooth decay.

Children's dental health

Key findings

Decayed, missing and filled teeth of five-year-old children 

• In the Lancashire-12 area, the average number of teeth (1.16) affected by decay per child is significantly worse than the England average (0.80). Within the Lancashire-12 area this ranges from 0.53 in Ribble Valley to 1.87 in Preston (2018/19).
• In the Lancashire-12 area, 27.4% of five year olds were affected by visually obvious dental decay in 2021/22, this is significantly worse than the England rate (23.7%). Within the Lancashire-12 area, in Pendle (41.9%), Hyndburn (35.4%), Preston (32.6%) and Burnley (29.3%) the proportion of five year olds affected by visually obvious dental decay is significantly higher than the England rate.
• In Blackburn with Darwen 40.3% of five year olds are affected by visually obvious dental decay and in Blackpool 31.2% are affected, both authorities are significantly worse than the England rate (2021/22).

Hospital admissions for dental caries (0-5 years), 2020/21 - 22/23

• At an authority level, Lancashire-12 has a rate of 389.7 per 100,000 and is significantly worse than the England rate (178.8). Blackburn with Darwen (665.0) and Blackpool's rate (609.8) is also higher than the England rate.

For additional county and unitary data and further information please see below. Please select the geography type to see what indicators are available as not all are provided across the different footprints.

If the area has defaulted to 'Counties & UAs in North East region', click on the down arrowhead next to 'Geography', select 'Region' and then 'North West'. This is an issue which is not within our control, apologies. 

Page updated May 2024