Untreated dental decay dropping among children, CDC report finds

Federal data released this week shows that cavities in preschoolers appear to be declining and fewer young children have untreated dental decay (Source: “Untreated Dental Decay Is Falling Among Children,” New York Times, March 5, 2015). 

According to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s the first drop in dental decay among young children since 2007, and the lowest percentage in a quarter century.

The agency found that 23 percent of children ages 2 to 5 had cavities from 2011 to 2012, down from 28 percent from 1999 to 2004.

Dr. Bruce Dye, the lead author of the past two C.D.C. reports on oral health, said that “only 10 percent of preschooler kids have untreated tooth decay… This is the lowest percentage we have seen in the past 25 years.”