Tooth decay has risen sharply since 2009, reversing earlier improvements and taking levels back towards those last seen in the late 1990s, new official statistics show.
The findings from the Adult Oral Health Survey (AOHS) 2023 also highlight growing impacts on quality of life, persistent inequalities and clear challenges in accessing dental services.
Four in ten adults with natural teeth had obvious tooth decay when examined . This compares with 28% in the last national survey in 2009 and is similar to levels seen in 1998.
Under a broader measure that includes enamel decay, nearly two thirds of adults had signs of decay.
Impacts on daily life have increased. Four in ten adults reported that their oral health had negatively impacted on their daily life, a rise since 2009 when this was one in three
Almost one in five adults had at least one potentially urgent oral health condition, including dental pain, deep decay involving the pulp or one or more PUFA sign (an index used to measure the severe consequences of tooth decay).
Very few adults now have no natural teeth. Only 2.5% reported having none, down from 6% in 2009.
Regular dental attendance has fallen. Just over half (52%) of dentate adults said their usual reason for attending was a check-up (this was 61% in 2009), while 35% only go when having trouble with their teeth, mouth or dentures.
Barriers to care were common among those attending infrequently, including being unable to find a dentist (40%), being unable to afford charges (31%) and not perceiving a need to go (27%).
Meanwhile stark inequalities persist. Adults in more deprived areas had higher levels of disease, more pain, worse quality of life and were less likely to attend a dentist regularly than those in more affluent areas.
Franziska Marcheselli, Research Director at the National Centre for Social Research said:
“Adults in England are keeping more of their natural teeth for longer, but today’s findings show that tooth decay has risen again and is now more common than it was in 2009. The findings underline the importance of prevention and better access to dental care, particularly for those facing the greatest disadvantage.”
