Oral health in children

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What is it?

This topic is about the health of children’s teeth and mouths, and above all tooth decay, which is largely preventable. It covers how common decay is, which children are most affected, and what helps prevent it.

• Tooth decay: damage to the teeth, made more likely by having sugary food and drink often. The national survey counts decay that has reached the layer under the enamel (the dentine) and can be seen without an X-ray. OHID OHID
• Fluoride: a mineral that helps prevent and control tooth decay, which is why children’s toothpaste contains it. NHS
• Fluoride varnish: a protective coating painted on children’s teeth to help prevent decay, at the dentist or through programmes in nurseries. DHSC and NHS England NICE
• Supervised toothbrushing: daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, supervised by staff, in nurseries and schools. NICE
• National survey of five-year-olds: a survey of the teeth of five-year-olds in state schools across England, carried out every two years by the National Dental Epidemiology Programme. OHID

This page looks at tooth decay among five-year-olds in Bracknell Forest, how it differs between groups of children across England, and what helps prevent it.

Life course

Start Well

Wider determinants

Money, work and deprivation

Population groups

Children and families Ethnic minority groups People on low incomes

Themes

Food and nutrition

Strategy principles

Prevention first Reducing inequalities

The picture in Bracknell Forest

What the evidence shows locally: the scale of need, who it affects most and where it is greatest.

Why does this matter?

Good oral health is part of children’s general health and wellbeing, and of their development and readiness for school. Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable. It can cause pain and infection, and affect eating, sleeping, communication and socialising, and children miss school days for hospital treatment to remove decayed teeth. OHID Regularly having sugary food and drinks raises the risk of decay, as well as of obesity and type 2 diabetes. OHID

Oral health isn’t equal. Children in the most deprived areas have more than twice as much tooth decay as those in the least deprived. OHID The national survey of five-year-olds shows differences between areas in both how many children have decay and how many teeth are affected, and exists to help councils, the NHS and partners understand their children’s oral health and highlight inequalities. OHID

Prevention starts early: brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth, having sugary food and drinks less often, and regular dental visits. NHS DHSC and NHS England For children at higher risk, NICE recommends that councils consider supervised toothbrushing and fluoride varnish schemes in nurseries, alongside oral health advice through early years services and schools. NICE Since 2025, a national programme has funded supervised toothbrushing for three to five-year-olds in early years settings in the most deprived areas of England. DHSC

What is happening in Bracknell Forest?

The latest figure for Bracknell Forest comes from the 2022 survey of five-year-olds, shown as 2021/22: the borough didn’t take part in the 2024 survey. OHID How many children see an NHS dentist each year comes from NHS dental statistics. Figures for hospital admissions for tooth decay among young children aren’t published for Bracknell Forest; their pattern across England is under Who is most affected?.

Choose a measure to see its trend and how Bracknell Forest compares.

5 year olds with visible tooth decay

Percentage of 5 year olds with experience of visually obvious dental decay · Persons, 5 yrs · 2021/22

Quick guide

What do the thin lines on our charts mean?

A quick guide to confidence intervals, in four steps.

1. Step 1 of 4

   Most figures are estimates

   Say we want to know how many adults smoke. A survey can't ask everyone. Ask a different group of people and you'd get a slightly different answer. Even figures that count everyone, like hospital stays, go up and down by chance. So each figure is a best estimate: we can't know the true figure exactly.

2. Step 2 of 4

   So we show a range of likely values

   On our charts, the bar is that best estimate. The thin line shows the range the true figure is very likely to be in. This is called a 95% confidence interval. Very likely means 95 times out of 100.

3. Step 3 of 4

   Is it different from England?

   The dashed line is England's figure. If the thin line crosses it, the difference could be down to chance, so we say ‘similar’. If it doesn't cross, the difference is unlikely to be down to chance. To compare two areas, two groups of people or two years, we check if their thin lines overlap.

4. Step 4 of 4

   Fewer people, wider range

   The fewer people a figure is based on, the wider its range. Bracknell Forest is small next to England, so its ranges are often wide. So a figure can look higher or lower than England's and still be ‘similar’. That means we can't be sure there's a real difference.

Show the figures in this chart

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	18.7%	14.3%	24.0%		248	Similar
England	England and South East	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	23.7%	23.3%	24.0%		62,649	Not compared
South East	England and South East	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	21.2%	20.1%	22.4%		5,043	Better 95%
Reading†	Berkshire UAs	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	32.9%	27.9%	38.3%		310	Worse 95%
Slough	Berkshire UAs	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	34.9%	29.9%	40.2%		330	Worse 95%
West Berkshire	Berkshire UAs	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	16.9%	12.8%	22.1%		247	Better 95%
Windsor and Maidenhead†	Berkshire UAs	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	21.0%	16.7%	26.2%		281	Similar
Wokingham†	Berkshire UAs	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	12.7%	9.0%	17.4%		242	Better 95%
Bexley	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	20.4%	15.8%	25.7%		252	Similar
Bromley	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	20.2%	15.6%	25.8%		236	Similar
Kingston upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	16.3%	12.7%	20.6%		331	Better 95%
Merton	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	26.6%	22.1%	31.5%		338	Similar
Milton Keynes	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	17.8%	13.9%	22.5%		302	Better 95%
Richmond upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	16.1%	12.6%	20.3%		355	Better 95%
Solihull	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	16.4%	12.0%	22.0%		209	Better 95%
South Gloucestershire	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	17.4%	12.6%	23.6%		184	Better 95%
Sutton	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	22.3%	18.3%	26.8%		365	Similar
Swindon	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	17.8%	13.3%	23.3%		225	Better 95%
Trafford	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	24.5%	20.1%	29.5%		317	Similar
Warrington	Statistical neighbours	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	30.5%	25.7%	35.8%		316	Worse 95%

Show the figures (Bracknell Forest, South East and England)

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2007/08	Persons	5 yrs	30.1%	25.4%	34.8%		374	Similar
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2011/12	Persons	5 yrs	27.6%	21.7%	33.5%		215	Similar
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2014/15	Persons	5 yrs	22.1%	17.2%	27.0%		264	Similar
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2018/19	Persons	5 yrs	11.5%	8.1%	16.0%		255	Better 95%
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	18.7%	14.3%	24.0%		248	Similar
England	England and South East	2007/08	Persons	5 yrs	30.9%	30.7%	31.1%		139,727	Not compared
England	England and South East	2011/12	Persons	5 yrs	27.9%	27.7%	28.1%		133,516	Not compared
England	England and South East	2014/15	Persons	5 yrs	24.7%	24.5%	25.0%		111,500	Not compared
England	England and South East	2018/19	Persons	5 yrs	23.4%	23.1%	23.7%		78,767	Not compared
England	England and South East	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	23.7%	23.3%	24.0%		62,649	Not compared
South East	England and South East	2007/08	Persons	5 yrs	26.2%	25.6%	26.8%		20,048	Better 95%
South East	England and South East	2011/12	Persons	5 yrs	21.2%	20.7%	21.7%		21,815	Better 95%
South East	England and South East	2014/15	Persons	5 yrs	20.0%	19.4%	20.5%		17,281	Better 95%
South East	England and South East	2018/19	Persons	5 yrs	17.6%	16.9%	18.3%		11,644	Better 95%
South East	England and South East	2021/22	Persons	5 yrs	21.2%	20.1%	22.4%		5,043	Better 95%

Bracknell Forest 18.7% 95% CI 14.3% to 24.0%

England 23.7% Bracknell Forest is similar

South East 21.2% Bracknell Forest is similar

Count — Not published for this measure

In 2021/22, the figure for Bracknell Forest was 18.7%, about 1 in 5, for children aged 5. This is similar to both England (23.7%) and the South East (21.2%). Any difference could be down to chance.

Between 2007/08 and 2021/22, the figure fell from 30.1% to 18.7%. This change is unlikely to be down to chance, which means it is getting better.

More about this measure

Compared with similar areas

Bracknell Forest was compared with the 15 areas most like it (its MHCLG statistical neighbours). It has the 8th lowest figure of these 16 areas. It is clearly lower than two and similar to the other 13. Among the other areas, figures range from 12.7% in Wokingham to 32.9% in Reading.

Compared with other Berkshire councils

Bracknell Forest was compared with the other five Berkshire unitary authorities. It has the 3rd lowest figure of these six areas. It is clearly lower than two and similar to the other three. Among the other areas, figures range from 12.7% in Wokingham to 34.9% in Slough.

About this measure

Percentage of 5 year olds with observed dental decay extending to the dentine layer. A lower figure is better.

Bear in mind

• The true figure for 2021/22 is likely to be between 14.3% and 24.0%.
• No figures were published for ten years between 2007/08 and 2021/22.
• These are the most recent figures available (2021/22), so they may not reflect the picture today.
• "Clearly" higher or lower than another area means the ranges of likely values don't overlap. This is a cautious test, so some real differences won't be picked up.

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93563 (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, National Dental Epidemiology Programme). Downloaded 10 Nov 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Children seen by an NHS dentist

NHS Dental Statistics for England: children seen by an NHS dentist · Persons, All ages · March 2026

Show the figures in this chart

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.6%			17,175	29,330	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.9%			7,171,526	12,183,016	Not compared
Reading†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	54.4%			20,395	37,515	Not compared
Slough	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	55.3%			24,934	45,094	Not compared
West Berkshire	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	62.0%			21,541	34,769	Not compared
Windsor and Maidenhead†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	54.5%			18,602	34,119	Not compared
Wokingham†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	60.4%			26,631	44,073	Not compared
Bexley	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	56.3%			32,332	57,460	Not compared
Bromley	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	57.1%			41,317	72,343	Not compared
Kingston upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	56.3%			20,222	35,928	Not compared
Merton	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	47.3%			21,169	44,777	Not compared
Milton Keynes	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	51.4%			37,652	73,234	Not compared
Richmond upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	48.3%			20,495	42,448	Not compared
Solihull	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.7%			28,669	48,834	Not compared
South Gloucestershire	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	61.9%			38,448	62,146	Not compared
Sutton	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.2%			28,837	49,529	Not compared
Swindon	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.3%			31,153	53,444	Not compared
Trafford	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	70.0%			39,263	56,073	Not compared
Warrington	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	63.3%			27,702	43,746	Not compared

Show the figures (Bracknell Forest, South East and England)

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2020	Persons	All ages	59.7%			16,310	27,298	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2022	Persons	All ages	46.3%			12,871	27,823	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2023	Persons	All ages	52.5%			14,845	28,271	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2024	Persons	All ages	54.6%			15,647	28,669	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2025	Persons	All ages	56.5%			16,436	29,073	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.6%			17,175	29,330	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2020	Persons	All ages	59.5%			7,014,122	11,790,492	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2021	Persons	All ages	23.4%			2,759,119	11,787,794	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2022	Persons	All ages	45.9%			5,402,512	11,762,878	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2023	Persons	All ages	52.8%			6,280,506	11,901,267	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2024	Persons	All ages	55.1%			6,645,124	12,059,476	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2025	Persons	All ages	56.9%			6,927,681	12,183,016	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2026	Persons	All ages	58.9%			7,171,526	12,183,016	Not compared

Bracknell Forest 58.6% No confidence interval published

England 58.9% Bracknell Forest not tested

Count 17,175 out of 29,330

In March 2026, the figure for Bracknell Forest was 58.6%. It is lower than England (58.9%), but NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether the difference is real.

Between March 2022 and March 2026, the figure rose from 46.3% to 58.6%. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether this change is real.

About these figures

This counts NHS dental care only, not children seen privately.

More about this measure

Compared with similar areas

Bracknell Forest was compared with the 15 areas most like it (its MHCLG statistical neighbours). It has the 6th highest figure of these 16 areas. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether it is clearly different from any of them. Among the other areas, figures range from 47.3% in Merton to 70.0% in Trafford.

Compared with other Berkshire councils

Bracknell Forest was compared with the other five Berkshire unitary authorities. It has the 3rd highest figure of these six areas. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether it is clearly different from any of them. Among the other areas, figures range from 54.4% in Reading to 62.0% in West Berkshire.

About this measure

Of children aged 0 to 17 living in the area, the percentage seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months to the end of March. A higher figure is better.

Bear in mind

• It counts NHS dental care only: children seen privately are not included.
• Children are counted where they live; a child seen more than once counts once.
• The COVID-19 pandemic cut dental care sharply in 2020 and 2021, so those years are much lower.
• England is worked out by adding up NHS England regions, including children whose home couldn't be placed; the files have no England row and no ONS regions, so there is no South East figure.
• NHSBSA publishes no margin of error, so differences are described here but not tested.

Source: NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Dental Statistics for England 2025-26 (official statistics), patients seen by patient location. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Percentages worked out from the published counts. Downloaded 13 October 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Children under 5 seen by an NHS dentist

NHS Dental Statistics for England: children seen by an NHS dentist · Persons, All ages · March 2026

Show the figures in this chart

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2026	Persons	All ages	36.0%			2,612	7,263	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2026	Persons	All ages	37.3%			1,146,400	3,072,243	Not compared
Reading†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	27.5%			2,853	10,378	Not compared
Slough	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	30.8%			3,707	12,039	Not compared
West Berkshire	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	40.4%			3,146	7,780	Not compared
Windsor and Maidenhead†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	33.0%			2,515	7,618	Not compared
Wokingham†	Berkshire UAs	March 2026	Persons	All ages	36.9%			3,441	9,318	Not compared
Bexley	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	34.1%			4,882	14,327	Not compared
Bromley	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	33.5%			6,034	17,993	Not compared
Kingston upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	31.1%			2,662	8,561	Not compared
Merton	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	26.1%			3,169	12,164	Not compared
Milton Keynes	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	27.2%			4,828	17,770	Not compared
Richmond upon Thames	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	27.6%			2,591	9,390	Not compared
Solihull	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	37.5%			4,113	10,975	Not compared
South Gloucestershire	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	37.4%			5,846	15,629	Not compared
Sutton	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	33.7%			3,745	11,114	Not compared
Swindon	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	38.8%			5,114	13,191	Not compared
Trafford	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	49.1%			5,927	12,079	Not compared
Warrington	Statistical neighbours	March 2026	Persons	All ages	43.5%			4,303	9,897	Not compared

Show the figures (Bracknell Forest, South East and England)

Area	Group	Period	Sex	Age	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Count	Denominator	Compared with England
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2020	Persons	All ages	32.8%			2,342	7,147	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2022	Persons	All ages	20.4%			1,453	7,138	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2023	Persons	All ages	26.9%			1,974	7,327	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2024	Persons	All ages	30.0%			2,184	7,281	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2025	Persons	All ages	32.2%			2,350	7,292	Not compared
Bracknell Forest	Bracknell Forest	March 2026	Persons	All ages	36.0%			2,612	7,263	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2020	Persons	All ages	36.8%			1,178,743	3,205,534	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2021	Persons	All ages	10.7%			334,882	3,141,148	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2022	Persons	All ages	24.1%			737,997	3,059,096	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2023	Persons	All ages	30.3%			928,727	3,066,929	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2024	Persons	All ages	33.2%			1,021,097	3,079,130	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2025	Persons	All ages	35.3%			1,085,334	3,072,243	Not compared
England	England and South East	March 2026	Persons	All ages	37.3%			1,146,400	3,072,243	Not compared

Bracknell Forest 36.0% No confidence interval published

England 37.3% Bracknell Forest not tested

Count 2,612 out of 7,263

In March 2026, the figure for Bracknell Forest was 36.0%. It is lower than England (37.3%), but NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether the difference is real.

Between March 2022 and March 2026, the figure rose from 20.4% to 36.0%. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether this change is real.

About these figures

This counts NHS dental care only, not children seen privately.

More about this measure

Compared with similar areas

Bracknell Forest was compared with the 15 areas most like it (its MHCLG statistical neighbours). It has the 7th highest figure of these 16 areas. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether it is clearly different from any of them. Among the other areas, figures range from 26.1% in Merton to 49.1% in Trafford.

Compared with other Berkshire councils

Bracknell Forest was compared with the other five Berkshire unitary authorities. It has the 3rd highest figure of these six areas. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error to test whether it is clearly different from any of them. Among the other areas, figures range from 27.5% in Reading to 40.4% in West Berkshire.

About this measure

Of children aged 0 to 4 living in the area, the percentage seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months to the end of March. A higher figure is better.

Bear in mind

• It counts NHS dental care only: children seen privately are not included.
• Children are counted where they live; a child seen more than once counts once.
• The COVID-19 pandemic cut dental care sharply in 2020 and 2021, so those years are much lower.
• England is worked out by adding up NHS England regions, including children whose home couldn't be placed; the files have no England row and no ONS regions, so there is no South East figure.
• NHSBSA publishes no margin of error, so differences are described here but not tested.

Source: NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Dental Statistics for England 2025-26 (official statistics), patients seen by patient location. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Percentages worked out from the published counts. Downloaded 13 October 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Who is most affected?

Children in the most deprived areas have more than twice as much tooth decay as those in the least deprived, and the national survey also looks at differences by ethnic group. OHID OHID No breakdowns are published for Bracknell Forest, so these charts show England’s figures.

Choose a comparison to see how the figure differs between groups of people.

Deprivation: tooth decay at age 5

Percentage of 5 year olds with experience of visually obvious dental decay · Persons, 5 yrs · 2023/24

Quick guide

What is a decile?

A quick guide to deciles, in four steps.

1. Step 1 of 4

   Putting areas in order

   England is split into thousands of small areas. Each one gets a score for how deprived it is. This covers more than money: things like jobs, health, education, crime and housing. Then all the areas are put in order, from the most deprived to the least deprived.

2. Step 2 of 4

   Ten equal groups

   Next, the line is cut into ten groups. Each group has the same number of areas. We call each group a decile. Decile 1 is the most deprived 10% of areas in England. Decile 10 is the least deprived 10%.

3. Step 3 of 4

   Reading our maps

   On our maps, each local area is coloured by its decile in England. The darker the blue, the more deprived the area. The key always shows all ten deciles. So you can see how each area compares with the whole of England, not just with its neighbours.

4. Step 4 of 4

   It describes areas, not people

   A decile tells you about a whole area, not each person in it. Not everyone in a deprived area is on a low income. Many people on low incomes live in less deprived areas. And a whole area can hide small pockets of deprivation.

Show the figures in this chart

Area	Sex	Decile	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Population	Compared with England
England	Persons	Most deprived decile	35.1%	34.3%	36.0%	11,507	Worse 95%
England	Persons	Second most deprived decile	28.8%	28.0%	29.7%	10,160	Worse 95%
England	Persons	Third more deprived decile	28.1%	27.1%	29.0%	8,717	Worse 95%
England	Persons	Fourth more deprived decile	24.0%	23.1%	25.0%	7,727	Worse 95%
England	Persons	Fifth more deprived decile	20.6%	19.7%	21.6%	7,330	Better 95%
England	Persons	Fifth less deprived decile	18.6%	17.7%	19.5%	7,566	Better 95%
England	Persons	Fourth less deprived decile	17.4%	16.5%	18.3%	7,313	Better 95%
England	Persons	Third less deprived decile	15.9%	15.1%	16.8%	7,630	Better 95%
England	Persons	Second least deprived decile	14.1%	13.4%	14.9%	7,662	Better 95%
England	Persons	Least deprived decile	12.8%	12.0%	13.7%	6,293	Better 95%
England	Persons	Slope index of inequality (SII)	-24.9	-25.9	-23.9

Fingertips doesn't publish this measure by deprivation for Bracknell Forest's own neighbourhoods, so this shows the national picture: England's neighbourhoods grouped into ten by national deprivation (IMD 2019). In 2023/24, the figure was 35.1% in the most deprived tenth and 12.8% in the least deprived tenth. Taking every group into account, the slope index of inequality puts the gap between the most and least deprived ends at 24.9 percentage points, with the figure higher at the most deprived end (likely range 23.9 to 25.9 percentage points). This is unlikely to be down to chance. This shows how the measure varies with deprivation across England; it doesn't describe inequality within Bracknell Forest.

Bear in mind

• The slope index of inequality uses every group, not just the two ends: a line is fitted across them, with each group placed by its share of the population, as OHID calculates it.
• These are the most recent figures published by deprivation (2023/24), so they may not reflect the picture today.

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93563. Downloaded 10 Nov 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Tooth decay at age 5: ethnic group

Percentage of 5 year olds with experience of visually obvious dental decay · Persons, 5 yrs · 2023/24

Show the figures in this chart

Group	Period	England	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI
Asian or Asian British	2023/24	37.7%	36.7%	38.6%
Black or Black British	2023/24	20.4%	19.2%	21.6%
Mixed or multiple ethnic groups	2023/24	20.9%	19.7%	22.1%
White	2023/24	19.5%	19.2%	19.8%
Other ethnic group	2023/24	45.4%	43.0%	47.8%

Fingertips doesn't publish this breakdown for Bracknell Forest, so this shows the national picture: England's figures for each group. It doesn't describe Bracknell Forest. In 2023/24, the figure for England was highest for other ethnic group (45.4%) and lowest for White (19.5%). The ranges of likely values for these two groups don't overlap, so the difference is unlikely to be down to chance.

Bear in mind

• These are the most recent figures available (2023/24), so they may not reflect the picture today.
• The thin lines on the chart show each group's range of likely values (95% confidence interval). Where two ranges overlap, the difference between those groups could be down to chance. This is a cautious test, so some real differences won't be picked up.

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93563. Downloaded 10 Nov 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Deprivation: hospital admissions for tooth decay (0 to 5)

Hospital admissions for dental caries (0 to 5 years) · Persons, 0-5 yrs · 2022/23 - 24/25

Show the figures in this chart

Area	Sex	Decile	Value	Lower 95% CI	Upper 95% CI	Population	Compared with England
England	Persons	Most deprived decile (IMD2025)	266.7	257.8	276.1	1,233,670	Higher 95%
England	Persons	Second most deprived decile (IMD2025)	291.2	279.4	302.9	815,630	Higher 95%
England	Persons	Third more deprived decile (IMD2025)	409.3	396.5	422.8	916,297	Higher 95%
England	Persons	Fourth more deprived decile (IMD2025)	314.8	302.5	327.6	775,011	Higher 95%
England	Persons	Fifth more deprived decile (IMD2025)	270.3	260.5	280.8	1,024,788	Higher 95%
England	Persons	Fifth less deprived decile (IMD2025)	161.5	154.6	168.4	1,325,148	Lower 95%
England	Persons	Fourth less deprived decile (IMD2025)	135.4	128.8	142.4	1,140,890	Lower 95%
England	Persons	Third less deprived decile (IMD2025)	143.6	137.3	150.1	1,365,298	Lower 95%
England	Persons	Second least deprived decile (IMD2025)	128.3	122.5	134.3	1,441,867	Lower 95%
England	Persons	Least deprived decile (IMD2025)	135.1	128.4	142.0	1,143,883	Lower 95%
England	Persons	Slope index of inequality (SII)	-252.1	-261.5	-242.6

Fingertips doesn't publish this measure by deprivation for Bracknell Forest's own neighbourhoods, so this shows the national picture: England's county and unitary councils grouped into ten by deprivation (IMD 2025). In 2022/23 - 24/25, the figure was 267 per 100,000 in the most deprived tenth and 135 per 100,000 in the least deprived tenth. Taking every group into account, the slope index of inequality puts the gap between the most and least deprived ends at 252 per 100,000, with the figure higher at the most deprived end (likely range 243 to 262 per 100,000). This is unlikely to be down to chance. This shows how the measure varies with deprivation across England; it doesn't describe inequality within Bracknell Forest.

Bear in mind

• The slope index of inequality uses every group, not just the two ends: a line is fitted across them, with each group placed by its share of the population, as OHID calculates it.
• Councils are grouped by how deprived they are overall, so this compares whole council areas, not neighbourhoods.

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93479. Downloaded 10 Nov 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Where is need greatest?

By local area

No figures for children’s oral health are published for areas smaller than the council. These maps show where children live, and where more of them live in income-deprived families, which is linked to more tooth decay. Neither measures oral health.

Choose a measure to see how it varies across Bracknell Forest.

Children in income-deprived families

English Indices of Deprivation 2025, by MSOA · prepared by Just Knowledge · 15 local areas (MSOAs)

Show the figures for each area

Area	Code	Decile	Rank in England (of 6,856)	Percentage
Priestwood	E02003355	5	3,371	31.5%
Bullbrook	E02003357	6	3,755	28.9%
Central Bracknell & Wildridings	E02003358	6	3,863	28.2%
Hanworth West	E02003362	7	4,379	24.9%
Great Hollands	E02003360	7	4,460	24.4%
Birch Hill & Hanworth East	E02003361	7	4,764	22.4%
Crown Wood	E02003359	8	5,102	20.5%
Owlsmoor & Broadmoor	E02003364	9	5,764	16.7%
Wick Hill	E02003354	9	6,017	14.8%
College Town	E02003366	9	6,146	14.0%
Binfield & Popeswood	E02003353	10	6,178	13.8%
Sandhurst	E02003365	10	6,440	11.5%
Chavey Down & North Ascot West	E02003356	10	6,664	9.0%
Crowthorne South	E02003363	10	6,740	7.6%
Winkfield & Cranbourne	E02003352	10	6,805	6.1%

Most deprived local area Decile 5 Priestwood

Least deprived local area Decile 10 Winkfield & Cranbourne

In England's most deprived 20% 0 of 15 local areas in deciles 1 and 2

In England's least deprived 20% 8 of 15 local areas in deciles 9 and 10

In 2025, Bracknell Forest's 15 local areas (MSOAs) ranged from decile 5 to decile 10 for income deprivation affecting children. Decile 1 is the most deprived 10% of England's 6,856 local areas, and decile 10 the least deprived 10%. The most deprived was Priestwood, the 3,371st most deprived in England. None of the borough's local areas were among the most deprived 20% in England (deciles 1 and 2), and eight were among the least deprived 20% (deciles 9 and 10). 31.5% of children aged 0 to 15 in Priestwood lived in income-deprived families, against 6.1% in Winkfield & Cranbourne.

From England’s official measure of deprivation, 2025. Children in the most deprived areas have more than twice as much tooth decay as those in the least deprived. GOV.UK OHID

More about this measure

About this measure

The share of children aged 0 to 15 living in income-deprived families (the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index).

About the figures

The Indices of Deprivation rank every small area in England from most to least deprived. They combine 55 measures in seven areas of life: income, employment, education and skills, health and disability, crime, barriers to housing and services, and the living environment. MHCLG publishes them for neighbourhoods (LSOAs). Just Knowledge combined the neighbourhoods into local areas (MSOAs), giving each one a weight for the number of people living there.

Bear in mind

• The indices compare areas with each other. A decile shows where an area ranks in England, not how deprived it is: an area ranked 100th is more deprived than one ranked 200th, but not twice as deprived.
• They describe areas, not people. Not everyone in a deprived area is deprived, and many people on low incomes live in less deprived areas.
• A local area's figure is an average of its smaller neighbourhoods, so it can hide pockets of deprivation inside it.
• The 2025 indices can't be compared with the 2019 ones. MHCLG changed the measures and data behind them, for example to count people on Universal Credit, so the figures are not a time series.
• Local area names are the House of Commons Library's names for MSOAs.

Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG), aggregated to MSOA by Just Knowledge. Boundaries: Office for National Statistics, contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. MSOA names: House of Commons Library. Downloaded 2 October 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

Children aged 0 to 15

OHID Fingertips · indicator 93084 · 15 local areas (MSOAs)

Show the figures for each area

Area	Code	Counted	Out of	Percentage
Great Hollands	E02003360	2,750	11,977	23.0%
Binfield & Popeswood	E02003353	3,200	14,283	22.4%
Priestwood	E02003355	1,604	7,435	21.6%
Bullbrook	E02003357	2,281	10,775	21.2%
Hanworth West	E02003362	1,387	6,575	21.1%
Central Bracknell & Wildridings	E02003358	2,591	13,113	19.8%
Birch Hill & Hanworth East	E02003361	1,471	7,479	19.7%
Chavey Down & North Ascot West	E02003356	1,415	7,419	19.1%
Wick Hill	E02003354	1,967	10,499	18.7%
Sandhurst	E02003365	1,264	6,868	18.4%
Owlsmoor & Broadmoor	E02003364	1,378	7,519	18.3%
Crowthorne South	E02003363	1,342	7,464	18.0%
Crown Wood	E02003359	1,119	6,325	17.7%
College Town	E02003366	1,161	7,257	16.0%
Winkfield & Cranbourne	E02003352	829	5,818	14.2%

Bracknell Forest 19.7% 25,759 of 130,806

England 18.4% Not compared

Highest area 23.0% Great Hollands

Lowest area 14.2% Winkfield & Cranbourne

In 2024, 19.7% of residents in Bracknell Forest were aged 0 to 15 (25,759 of 130,806). The figure for England was 18.4%. Across the borough's 15 local areas (MSOAs), it ranged from 14.2% in Winkfield & Cranbourne to 23.0% in Great Hollands. The highest figure was about 1.6 times the lowest.

From ONS’s population estimates. It shows where children live, for context.

More about this measure

About this measure

Population aged under 16 as a percentage of total population.

Bear in mind

• "Better" or "worse" than England is Fingertips' own comparison, using each area's range of likely values (95% confidence interval). It is a cautious test, so some real differences won't be picked up.
• Local area names are the House of Commons Library's names for MSOAs.

Source: OHID Fingertips, indicator 93084 (Office for National Statistics), for MSOAs. Downloaded 10 Nov 2026. Text generated from the data by rule.

By neighbourhood

We have grouped Bracknell Forest’s 15 local areas (MSOAs, the areas on the maps above) into three neighbourhoods: North, Central and South. Each local area sits in the neighbourhood where most of its residents live, and a neighbourhood’s figures are calculated from its local areas’ published figures. Hover over or tap a row for its details.

Not testedBracknell ForestEngland

Children aged 0 to 15mid-2024 · ONS small area population estimates

North19.2%North: 19.2%
8,530 out of 44,344 · mid-2024
Bracknell Forest 19.7% (not tested)
England 18.4%
Its 5 local areas: 14.2% to 22.4%

Central21.1%Central: 21.1%
12,084 out of 57,354 · mid-2024
Bracknell Forest 19.7% (not tested)
England 18.4%
Its 6 local areas: 19.7% to 23.0%

South17.7%South: 17.7%
5,145 out of 29,108 · mid-2024
Bracknell Forest 19.7% (not tested)
England 18.4%
Its 4 local areas: 16.0% to 18.4%

England18.4%England: 18.4%
10,768,248 out of 58,620,101 · mid-2024
Bracknell Forest 19.7%

Bracknell Forest 19.7%

Highest in Central, lowest in South (not tested)

Census and ONS population figures come with no margin of error, so they aren’t tested.

Neighbourhood profiles

The charts above show this topic in each of the three neighbourhoods. The neighbourhood profiles turn this round. Each one shows every measure we have for one neighbourhood, across all the topics, from the same data. Use them to see where a neighbourhood is better or worse than the Bracknell Forest average, and which of its local areas stand out.

NorthCentralSouth

What don’t we know?

Coming soon

This section will set out what we don't yet know about oral health in children in Bracknell Forest, so the gaps in the evidence are clear.

It might include:

• figures we don't have for smaller areas, or for some groups of people
• figures that are out of date, or only collected every few years
• questions that local figures can't answer yet

We'll add this as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment grows. Please check back later.

So what does this mean for Bracknell Forest?

Coming soon

This section will bring together what this page shows about oral health in children, and what it means for Bracknell Forest.

It might include:

• the main points from the figures on this page
• how things are changing, and who is most affected
• where in the borough need is greatest

We'll add this as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment grows. Please check back later.

Understanding it and responding

What lies behind the figures, what could make a difference, and what local people and services tell us.

What might be driving this?

Tooth decay is largely preventable, and the main things that make it more likely are well known. OHID

• Sugary food and drinks, often: having sugar regularly raises the risk of decay. Children still have more sugar than is recommended. OHID
• Toothbrushing: brushing less than twice a day, or without fluoride toothpaste. NHS
• Deprivation: children in the most deprived areas have more than twice as much decay as those in the least deprived. OHID
• Getting to a dentist: regular checks and preventive care such as fluoride varnish help, and children at higher risk need more of them. DHSC and NHS England

More on children’s diet and weight is on Childhood healthy weight and physical activity, and on the early years on Early years and school readiness.

What could help?

What the evidence recommends

• Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth, last thing at night and at one other time, with a smear of toothpaste for under-threes and a pea-sized amount from three to six, spitting out rather than rinsing. NHS
• Having sugary food and drinks less often, and regular dental care, with extra preventive care, such as fluoride varnish, for children at higher risk. DHSC and NHS England
• Oral health as a local priority: an oral health needs assessment and strategy, oral health advice through all early years services, more tailored advice for groups at high risk, and a whole-school approach in primary schools. NICE
• Supervised toothbrushing and fluoride varnish schemes in nurseries in areas where children are at high risk of poor oral health. NICE The national supervised toothbrushing programme supports councils to offer toothbrushing in early years settings in the most deprived areas, with free toothbrushes and toothpaste. DHSC
• Every contact counts: health and care professionals can give brief advice on toothbrushing and sugar, and point families to dental care and local oral health programmes. OHID

What do people tell us?

Coming soon

This section will share what local people, and the people who support them, tell us about oral health in children.

It might include:

• people's own experiences, in their own words
• what community and voluntary groups hear
• what staff who work with local people notice

We'll add this as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment grows. Please check back later.

Further information

Where to find out more, and where the figures on this page come from.

Want to find out more?

Guidance, evidence and useful links

Guidance, research, statistics and where to get help, from trusted organisations.

Guidance

Child oral health: applying All Our Health (opens in a new tab)

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities · 2022

Why children's oral health matters, who is most affected, and what health and care professionals can do to prevent tooth decay.

Data and statistics

NHS Dental Statistics for England 2025/26 (opens in a new tab)

NHS Business Services Authority · 2026

Patients seen by an NHS dentist and NHS dental activity, by council and area, with new figures by deprivation.

Also relevant to Our community assets and services

Data and statistics

Adult oral health survey 2023 (opens in a new tab)

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities · 2025

England's survey of adults' oral health, including how often people see a dentist, and the barriers they describe, such as cost, anxiety and difficulty getting there.

Also relevant to Our community assets and services

Guidance

Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention (opens in a new tab)

Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England · 2025

The evidence-based guide for dental teams and others on preventing tooth decay and gum disease, including fluoride and diet.

Data and statistics

Oral health survey of 5 year old schoolchildren 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities · 2025

The national survey of tooth decay among five-year-olds, with results for councils, regions, deprivation and ethnic groups.

Guidance

Oral health: local authorities and partners (PH55) (opens in a new tab)

NICE · 2014

NICE's guidance for councils on assessing local oral health needs and on community programmes such as supervised toothbrushing.

Show 2 more

Help and support

Children's teeth (opens in a new tab)

NHS

How to look after children's teeth, from the first tooth: brushing, how much toothpaste, and visits to the dentist.

Also relevant to Babies and infant health

Help and support

Find a dentist (opens in a new tab)

NHS

Find an NHS dentist near you that is taking on new patients.

Also relevant to Our community assets and services

Related topics

Other topics in the JSNA to look at next.

• Early years and school readiness Start Well
• Childhood healthy weight and physical activity Start Well
• Child poverty and family circumstances Start Well

Where these figures come from

Most figures on this page come from OHID Fingertips and are refreshed from source. Two files were downloaded from their publishers' websites, because their figures aren't available from those services: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, by MSOA and NHS Dental Statistics for England: children seen by an NHS dentist. They are checked each time the page is built, and replaced when a new version is published.

Measure	What it measures	Source	Data covers	Updated at source
5 year olds with visible tooth decay	Percentage of 5 year olds with observed dental decay extending to the dentine layer	Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, National Dental…	2007/08 to 2023/24	2 April 2025
Hospital admissions for tooth decay (0 to 5)	Finished consultant episodes for dental caries among children aged 0 to 5, rate per 100,000	OHID, based on NHS England and Office for National Statistics data	2015/16 - 17/18 to 2022/23 - 24/25	11 September 2026
Children aged 0 to 15	Population aged under 16 as a percentage of total population	Office for National Statistics	2024, by MSOA	16 October 2026
English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (local areas)	How deprived each local area is compared with the rest of England, overall and in seven areas of life	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, prepared by Just Knowledge	2025, by MSOA	30 October 2025
NHS Dental Statistics: children seen (NHSBSA)	Children seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months, for every council, each March	NHS Business Services Authority	March 2020 to March 2026, by council	27 August 2026

Definitions and limitations

5 year olds with visible tooth decay Indicator 93563

Percentage of 5 year olds with experience of visually obvious dental decay

Percentage of 5 year olds with dental decay extending to the dentine layer which can be detected by visual observation alone

Limitations. Not all local authorities have taken part in the survey. This means that for any child who has been examined whose LA of residence has not taken part in the survey, their figures will be included in national, regional, deprivation and ethnicity breakdowns, but will not appear in the local authority breakdown.

Collected in Dental Public Health Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five year… · Published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, National Dental Epidemiology Programme · Updated biennial · Last updated on Fingertips 2 April 2025

Hospital admissions for tooth decay (0 to 5) Indicator 93479

Hospital admissions for dental caries (0 to 5 years)

Finished consultant episodes for dental caries among children aged 0 to 5, rate per 100,000.

Limitations. Areas where between 1% and 10% of records had missing sex values have been flagged and should be interpreted with caution. In some instances the data are an underestimate of the number of episodes, as the Community Dental Service may provide the extraction service in hospital premises but the episodes may not be…

Collected in Population Health Analysis, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities · Published by OHID, based on NHS England and Office for National Statistics data · Updated annual · Last updated on Fingertips 11 September 2026

Children aged 0 to 15 Indicator 93084

Resident population (aged 0 to 15)

Population aged under 16 as a percentage of total population.

Collected in Office for National Statistics (ONS), Mid year population estimates · Published by Office for National Statistics · Updated annual · Last updated on Fingertips 16 October 2026

English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (local areas) Source

English Indices of Deprivation 2025, by MSOA

The Indices of Deprivation rank every small area in England from most to least deprived. They combine 55 measures in seven areas of life: income, employment, education and skills, health and disability, crime, barriers to housing and services, and the living environment. MHCLG publishes them for neighbourhoods (LSOAs). Just Knowledge combined the neighbourhoods into local areas (MSOAs), giving each one a weight for the number of people living there.

Limitations. The indices compare areas with each other. A decile shows where an area ranks in England, not how deprived it is: an area ranked 100th is more deprived than one ranked 200th, but not twice as deprived. They describe areas, not people. Not everyone in a deprived area is deprived, and many people on low incomes live in less deprived areas. A local area's figure is an average of its smaller neighbourhoods, so it can hide pockets of deprivation inside it. The 2025 indices can't be compared with the 2019 ones. MHCLG changed the measures and data behind them, for example to count people on Universal Credit, so the figures are not a time series.

Published by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 30 October 2025 · Prepared by Just Knowledge · Downloaded on 2 October 2026 · Next update: not yet known
Credit: English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG), aggregated to MSOA by Just Knowledge. Boundaries: Office for National Statistics, contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. MSOA names: House of Commons Library.

NHS Dental Statistics: children seen (NHSBSA) Source

NHS Dental Statistics for England: children seen by an NHS dentist

NHS dental practices record every course of treatment they give. The NHS Business Services Authority counts how many children aged 0 to 17 were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months to the end of each month, by where they live, beside ONS population estimates for the same ages.

Limitations. It counts NHS dental care only: children seen privately are not included. Children are counted where they live; a child seen more than once counts once. The COVID-19 pandemic cut dental care sharply in 2020 and 2021, so those years are much lower. England is worked out by adding up NHS England regions, including children whose home couldn't be placed; the files have no England row and no ONS regions, so there is no South East figure. NHSBSA publishes no margin of error, so differences are described here but not tested.

Published by NHS Business Services Authority on 27 August 2026 · Downloaded on 13 October 2026 · Next update: not yet known
Credit: NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Dental Statistics for England 2025-26 (official statistics), patients seen by patient location. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Page built 10 November 2026, 15:14 Data downloaded 10 November 2026, 11:42 Other files downloaded 13 October 2026 3 indicators from OHID Fingertips and 2 files from publishers' websites