The Guardian view on the dental divide: ministers must brush up their policy as well as children’s teeth | Editorial

The article discusses the widening dental health inequalities in England, particularly among disadvantaged primary school children. It highlights the government's new initiative to include toothbrushing training in its breakfast clubs, as data shows that a fifth of all five-year-olds in England have experienced tooth decay. However, the prevalence of tooth decay is not evenly distributed, with children in deprived areas faring much worse. The article cites a new analysis from the Local Government Association, which reveals significant disparities in the availability of NHS dental practices across different council areas. For instance, Middlesbrough has only 10 NHS dental practices per 100,000 people, while the affluent borough of Richmond upon Thames has 28. This suggests that the issue of dental health inequalities is closely linked to wider health disparities. The article suggests that "golden hellos" (financial incentives) alone will not solve the problem and that the government needs to take a more comprehensive approach to address the underlying causes of the dental divide.