A dentist claims her profession is not to blame for high levels of rotten teeth among Oxford children.

A new report shows that more than a third of five-year-olds in the city have decayed, missing or filled teeth.

Dr John spearheads efforts to improve county dental health But Alison Lockyear, of the Lakeside Dental Practice, in Lake Street, said health visitors were responsible for poor oral health in children.

The South East England Public Health Observatory report shows that 32 per cent of five-year-olds in the region have signs of tooth decay, but 37 per cent of Oxford children are affected.

It also highlights fluctuations in dental health among five-year-olds across Oxfordshire.

In Cherwell Vale, which covers Chipping Norton and Banbury, 41 per cent of five-year-olds have rotten teeth, compared with 24 per cent in south east Oxfordshire -- the lowest proportion in South East England.

The data also shows that children in south east Oxfordshire were more likely to receive treatment from dentists, with 23 per cent of their rotten teeth being filled, compared with 16 per cent in Cherwell Vale.

NHS records show that only a third of the county's dentists -- 43 out of 121 -- are accepting new child registrations.

Others will only register children -- who are entitled to free NHS care -- if their parents pay a monthly fee to be registered privately.

British Dental Association spokesman Miss Lockyear said: "Dental disease is preventable and if we can't prevent it in children, then what are health visitors doing?

"We don't need dentists to teach people about diet, so why doesn't the health service start spending money on educators? This is not to do with dental access at all."

The report, using statistics from 2001-02, shows that every child in the South East has an average of 1.1 rotten or missing teeth.

But the average in Cherwell Vale is 1.6 and in Oxford it is 1.5, compared with just 0.6 in south east Oxfordshire.

Dr Jeyanthi John, locum consultant in dental public health for Oxfordshire, said: "It's quite concerning, because these numbers are high for what is a preventative disease. It's directly related to levels of deprivation.

"It's not just about stopping children eating sweets, but recommending parents make sure children have an overall balanced diet, which will help their teeth, general health and reduce obesity."