LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – England on Friday launched a national campaign to teach children in schools and nurseries how to brush their teeth properly, as the nation grapples with a dental health crisis.

Up to six in 10 children in some deprived areas have rotting teeth by the age of five, according to official data.

Concern over the state of children’s teeth comes amid a population-wide emergency in dental services that has seen people resorting to “Victorian-era” solutions such as pulling out their own teeth.

“1 in 5 five-year-olds have tooth decay in the UK,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X as the scheme — expected to reach 600,000 children aged between three and five years — was rolled out.

The British Dental Association says around 12 million people are currently looking for an NHS dentist providing free care as increasing numbers of practitioners turn their backs on the NHS in favour of more lucrative private practice.

According to OECD data, the UK has 49 dentists per 100,000 inhabitants — the lowest rate among G7 countries.

Starmer’s Labour government, elected in July, has promised to make 700,000 extra dental appointments available.

Dentists, however, said last month this will cover only a third of those who need urgent care.

“It is shocking that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay, something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health,” Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said.

The £11 million ($14.2 million) initiative for supervised tooth brushing will be targeted at the most deprived areas of the country.

But it was criticised by some for shifting a “parental responsibility” onto the shoulders of schools.

“There is no doubt that there is a crisis in childhood dental health in this country… however, we cannot keep loading increasing expectations on schools,” said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT.

It is hoped the scheme could save the state-run National Health Service millions by reducing the number of children who need hospital care to have bad teeth extracted.

“Supervised tooth-brushing is tried and tested policy that will save children from pain and our NHS a fortune,” said BDA chairman Eddie Crouch.