West Berkshire residents have some of the best teeth in the country according to new figures.
West Berkshire residents have some of the best teeth in the country according to new figures.
Tooth decay is down, but fewer West Berkshire children and adults accessed NHS dental services in the previous 24 months compared to national averages. The area does have a higher number of dentists per head, which health officials say likely reflects a higher proportion of patients going private.
Local authorities must provide or commission oral health promotion programmes. The 2024/25 survey focusing on care home residents has been completed – with data awaited – and a new local toothbrushing programme is being mobilised.
In 2023/24 there were 145 episodes of tooth extractions in NHS hospitals for 0-19 year olds in West Berkshire. The rate of tooth extractions was 376.5 (per 100,000), similar to the England rate of 368.0 but statistically higher than the South East average of 239.2.
The percentage of tooth extractions with a primary diagnosis of tooth decay among 0-19 year olds in West Berkshire was 17.2 per cent, statistically lower than the South East and England averages of 40.2 per cent and 62.3 per cent respectively. Among five to nine-year-olds only 16.7 per cent had a primary diagnosis of tooth decay in West Berkshire, compared with 72.6 per cent in the South East and 87.1 per cent across England.
Although primary care dental services are not provided through local authorities, they still play an important role in oral and dental health protection and promotion. The NHS Business Services Authority provides data on local authority NHS dental access and insight into how many children and adults use NHS dental services.
In 2024/25, 19,054 children aged 0-17 years accessed NHS dental services in the previous 12 months in West Berkshire – 53.7 per cent of the 0-17 population. And 43,483 adults attended an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months, 33.5 per cent of the adult population (compared with 34.6 per cent in the South East). These figures do not include people choosing private dentists.
West Berkshire has more dentists per head than England, but many do not work full time for the NHS or are fully private. Nationally, NHS dentist use is known to be linked to levels of deprivation and urban density.
The area received a small government allocation of £16,500 to deliver a supervised toothbrushing programme for three- to five-year-olds, covering 21 classes of 30 children. Designated staff train colleagues and supervise daily toothbrushing 30 minutes after meals, in line with national guidance.
A recommendation to the health board this week suggests the council and health leaders should consider an oral health needs assessment, including a deep-dive into the data, to understand public views and identify groups for targeted work. The West Berkshire Health and Wellbeing Board has also set ‘Best Start in Life’ for children as an immediate priority.
West Berkshire Family Hubs run a cooking and nutrition course that covers sugar content in food and the importance of oral health, and encourages participants to register with a dentist if they are not already registered.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
