CHILDREN at nurseries and schools in East Lancashire could be given daily fluoride tablets following a successful trial in Burnley.

East Lancashire is a recognised black spot for dental health in children, and particularly in youngsters from Burnley.

The community dental service has submitted evidence of the success of a programme in Burnley which shows there was a significant decrease in the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in the mouths of the children taking the supplement.

In a report to health watchdogs, the dental service requests Burnley Health Care Trust to negotiate with the East Lancashire Health Authority to widen the programme to other schools and nurseries in the district.

In 1993 a scheme started whereby parents were provided with fluoride tablets to give to their children. Some parents regularly gave the supplement, but others did not.

The report says the scheme proved ineffective and a survey of 3,038 five-year-old children in 1995/6 found they had an average of 3.12 teeth affected by decay, missing or filled - the average for the region was 2.52. The headteacher of the school with the highest level of dental disease asked what could be done and the community dental service devised a programme, involving the primary school and two nurseries.

This involved children not bringing snacks into school and, with parental consent, dental staff administering daily fluoride tablets.

In September 1996, 153 children were taking part and a year later when two-thirds moved to primary schools half were going to the school already in the programme.

A further two other headteachers of primary schools agreed for the scheme to be introduced into their school.

A new survey of child dental health in the Burnley district showed, children had fewer decayed, filled or missing teeth when they had the supplement.

In the primary school with the worst record, the results has improved from 7.33 in 1995/6 to 4.05. And in the other two primary schools the levels had dropped.

In a fourth school, where no tablets had been given, the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth had risen from 6.54 in 1995/6 to 6.9 in 1997/8.

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