Survey reveals 69% of 5 year old children in England are free from obvious dental decay

STATISTICS published on Tuesday, 20 October 2009, by the new NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme (NHS DEP) for England provide a snapshot of the oral health of five year old children. The report NHS Dental Epidemiology Programme for England; Oral Health Survey of five year old children, 2007/2008 reveals that 69% of five year old children are free of obvious dental decay (i.e. have no decayed, missing [due to decay] or filled teeth).

The survey included the examination of nearly 140,000 five year old children from state schools across 147 of the 152 Primary Care Trust (PCT) areas of England during the 2007/08 academic year.

This is the first survey of this type where parents of children were required to give consent and therefore bias resulting from non-response cannot be ruled out. As a result, direct comparisons with previous surveys should not be made.

Key findings from the survey include:-

· Three out of ten (31%) 5 year olds in England have obvious dental decay (at least one decayed, missing [due to decay] or filled tooth).

· Those children affected by decay have on average between three and four teeth which are either filled, extracted or have obvious lesions in them.

· Levels of decay vary regionally, with more children in the northern regions having experienced decay than those in southern and eastern regions. Across Strategic Health Authority (SHA) areas the level of dental decay varies from 24% in South East Coast to 40% in the North East.

· There is also variation in obvious dental decay between local PCT areas. Over half of 5 year olds in Middlesbrough (53%) had at least one tooth that was decayed, missing or filled, three times the proportion in East Riding of Yorkshire (18%).

· Across the whole of the population examined, 5 year old children in England have an average of 1.11 decayed, missing or filled teeth (d3mft). At SHA level the highest average d3mft is seen in the North West (1.52), closely followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (1.51).The lowest average d3mft is seen in South East Coast (0.72).

· There are large variations in average d3mft across PCT areas, with the highest value seen in Brent (2.50), some five times higher than that in West Kent (0.48).

· Decayed teeth make up the largest component of the d3mft value. On average, 5 year old children in England have 0.87 decayed teeth. The North West has the highest average number of decayed teeth (1.21), more than double that in the South East Coast (0.52). Wide variations were also seen across PCTs with the highest value (2.24, Brent) being over seven times higher than the lowest value (0.30, West Kent).

Sponsorship for Veterans Wanted

THE Veterans Fund is organising a concert on Merseyside to raise funds for Help For Heroes and is asking for sponsorship from local business.  It is planed for next April 2010 at the Echo Arena and will consist of several military bands.

Besides the mass bands there a smaller offshoot bands from Jazz to pop, even a female Rock band. It is these we want to bring together along with a showbiz personality.

Anyone interested in the armed forces should contact Steve Hawkshaw on:- 0791 491 8381.

Everton Launch International Awareness Campaign For Missing Madeleine

EVERTON Football Club has launched an international awareness campaign to refocus attention on the two year search for missing Madeleine McCann.

The move to re-energise the campaign to find the youngster is being made as the English Premier League Club heads to Portugal for their Europa League group match with Benfica at Lisbon’s famous Stadium of Light on Thursday night.

Madeleine went missing in the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz in 2007 and since then huge international efforts have been made to locate the young Evertonian’s whereabouts.

One of the first images released by Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry, in the wake of their daughter’s disappearance 29 months ago showed the then four-year old proudly wearing an Everton shirt.

To raise awareness of the ongoing search for Madeleine, Everton has commissioned a specially-designed T-shirt featuring the message, ‘We’re Still Looking For You’ which is to be given to every supporter who has purchased a ticket for Thursday’s match.

A total of 6,000 shirts have been produced by the Club – 3,000 bearing the logo in English and 3,000 bearing a message in Portuguese.

Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright said:- “I will never, ever forget that image of a beautiful, smiling child in an Everton shirt. I believe that I was one of the first people outside the family to see it and it moved me greatly. In truth, like everyone else, I have felt nothing but deep sadness and mounting frustration as the search for Maddie has continued. However, I continue to be inspired by the dignity and the faith which Kate and Gerry have displayed throughout their dreadful ordeal. This is just our way of reminding people – not just in the UK and Portugal but across the globe – that this child is still out there somewhere. If we can, perhaps, jog someone’s memory or breath a little fresh life into the hunt for her then it will have been worth it. I know our supporters will wear these t-shirts with pride on Thursday night.”

Everton Manager David Moyes added:- “My heart went out to Madeleine’s family when this awful tragedy occurred – and it still does. It is absolutely vital that the hunt for this lovely, little girl continues. People do sometimes forget that football managers and footballers are also Dads – family comes first. Everyone connected with Everton Football Club simply wishes to see Madeleine reunited with her family.”

If you are going to Lisbon and wish to show your support for the ongoing search for Madeleine, you can pick up a t-shirt from Goodison Park this week.

The intention is for as many Evertonians as possible to be wearing the t-shirts in the Portuguese capital.

Any supporters who are unable to collect t-shirts prior to their trip to Lisbon will be able to do so from Liverpool Airport. Details of collection points at the airport will be announced later this week.

Please note t-shirts will be made available free of charge to those supporters who produce their match ticket or travel documentation to Portugal.