Children aged five in Brent have the worst teeth of kids their age anywhere in the country, new data shows.

A total of 46% of five-year-olds in the borough have tooth decay, a higher percentage than those living in any other English local authority.

Data from the National Dental Epidemiology Programme for 2021 to 2022 revealed that 29.3% - almost a third - of English five-year-olds have tooth decay.

Three other local authorities in north London performed worse than the national average – Harrow (35.8%), Camden (31.8%) and Barnet (30.2%).

Children aged five in Hackney had the best teeth in north London – 22.4% had tooth decay.

The percentage for other north London boroughs were – Islington (24.7%), Haringey (27.5%), Enfield (28.8%).

Overall, the national survey showed that children living in the most deprived areas of England were almost three times more likely to have experience of decay (35.1%) as those living in the least deprived areas (13.5%).

The programme’s report said tooth decay affecting one or more incisor (front) teeth is usually linked with long-term use of feeding bottles with sugar-sweetened drinks, especially when these are given overnight or for long periods during the day.

A total of 2% of children in England have advanced tooth decay, while one in five (21.2%) children had some dental plaque.

The report said: “The cause of dental decay is well understood and is related to the frequent exposure of teeth to fermentable carbohydrates, most commonly through eating and drinking sugary snacks and drinks.”

A total of 62,649 children were included in the analysis, which represents 9.1% of the England population at age five.

The report said that while inequalities in those with tooth decay fell from 2008 to 2015, there have been no further reductions since then.

British Dental Association chairman Eddie Crouch said: “England’s oral health gap is widening, but ministers remain asleep at the wheel.

“Time and again we hear the right noises but see literally no action to break the link between decay and deprivation.”

David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “Oral health inequality is expected to grow owing to the scale of backlogs in primary care, which limit the chance to catch problems early.

“The Government should recommit to vital measures to combat childhood obesity and diet-related ill health, such as the sugar levy which has helped cut down the consumption of drinks with high sugar content.”