A LEADING figure in the battle to improve dental health in Bolton has stepped into the lion's den - the fluoride controversy - in a bid to tackle the borough's high levels of decay.

Colwyn Jones, Consultant in Dental Public Health, is an outspoken supporter of the need to fluoridate the region's water supply.

Dental health in Bolton and Wigan is among the worst in the country.

In a survey of 199 health districts, Wigan was 187th and Bolton 194th and the combined total of cavities in five-year-olds for both boroughs was the highest in the North-west.

North West Water has refused to fluoridate the water supply and there is continued public opposition to the move.

But Mr Jones recommends that everyone should brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

"Parents should start brushing their infants' new teeth, using a small smear of fluoride toothpaste and a soft toothbrush as soon as the first teeth grow in, at about six months of age," he recommends. A survey carried out in 1994/95 school year shows that one in two English children aged 14 had experience of tooth decay, while in Bolton two out of every three of 14-year-olds had experienced tooth decay.

The dental health of children in Bolton is consistently worse than the national average for all ages.

One reason cited by Mr Jones and his team is that in the North we only use two thirds of he amount of fluoride toothpaste than they do in the South.

As with most other diseases, dental decay has strong links with levels of social deprivation. Statistics show that in the poorest districts of Bolton, the levels of tooth decay are much higher than in more wealthy areas.

In addition to brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, experts recommend that people should eat plenty of fresh fruit and drink milk or water between meals, and avoid sugary foods or drinks between meals.

Everyone should ensure they are registered with a dentist. In Bolton, unlike many other parts of the UK, there are plenty of NHS dentists and all children should be registered.

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