Tooth decay 'still frustrating' - dental health survey

Only a third of children in Wales have healthy teeth overall and this is lagging behind England, a major survey suggests.

Thousands of children have been examined every 10 years since 1973.

A third of children in Wales were said to have good oral health overall, compared to 39% in England.

Decay was found in 52% of 12 year olds and 63% of 15 year olds, a slight improvement on the 2003 survey.

But about 70% of them reported problems with their teeth.

Barbara Chadwick, professor of paediatric dentistry at Cardiff University, said there was improvement, especially for eight-year-old children, but decay was still frustrating.

Meanwhile, Cardiff dentist Paul Stockford said there were still children waiting a year to be able to register with a practice in his area.