National oral health figures have shown improvements in adult oral health in the UK, though children's oral health trends are not as positive. Fewer adults now have no natural teeth, and more adults visit dentists regularly. However, children's sugar intake is high and contributes to tooth decay, and many children do not visit dentists annually. Additionally, many adults only brush their teeth and do not practice proper oral hygiene like flossing or mouthwash use. Continued efforts are needed to educate the public on proper oral care, nutrition, and regular dental visits.

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Widcombe Dental Practice
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UK’s Oral Health at
a Glance

2. National oral health figures have shown an improvement in adult oral health.
Back in 1978, studies found that 37% of adults no longer had natural teeth. Only 44% of the
adults in England visited their dentist while 39% of those in Wales did. In the latest survey,
however, the figure for adults with no natural teeth reduced to 6%. For dental check-ups, figures
rose to 61% in England and 69% in Wales.
Despite the improvements, the need to push for oral health consciousness in the UK remains.
Areas that the public can focus on are children’s oral health and common oral hygiene lapses.
Children’s Oral Health
The trends in children’s dental health are not going as well as the adults’. More children are
admitted to hospitals due to tooth decay, and roughly 40% of children do not visit the dentist
every year.

3. Children’s sugar intake is one of the causes of tooth decay that has been given focus. Children and
young people of England have been found to have the highest consumption of sugary drinks in
Europe. In children aged four to ten years old, sugar makes up 15% of their daily calorie intake.
Even though dental practitioners consider tooth extraction as a last resort, high numbers of
extraction are carried out to treat preventable disease.
Proper Oral Care
Surveys on oral hygiene have revealed that 42% of adults’ oral care only involves tooth brushing.
Furthermore, one out of ten adults admits to regularly forgetting to brush their teeth. The figure for
adults who use mouthwash is 31%, and one out of three people have never used dental floss for
mouth care.

4. Steps Forward
The government health sector and private dental organisations continue their efforts to educate
the public on proper at-home care, proper nutrition and the importance of regular dental visits.
Systems to make dental care more accessible are continuously developed.
The public can help in reducing the incidence of tooth decay and other oral health problems.
People can practise proper at-home care, observe proper nutrition, and work with their dental
health care providers.
Sources:
http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/facts-figures/
https://widcombedentalpractice.co.uk
http://www.bsdht.org.uk/news-1/nhs-statistics-indicate-more-needs-to-be-done-to-improve-
oral-health-says-fgdp-uk-1