The proportion of children with tooth cavities in Japan hit a record low in fiscal 2024, apparently reflecting advice on tooth brushing and other related initiatives at schools, a survey by the health ministry showed Wednesday.
The cavity rate stood at 20.74% at kindergartens, 32.89% at elementary schools, 26.50% at junior high schools and 34.70% at high schools, all hitting the lowest level since the survey began in fiscal 1948.
The survey covered a total of about 3.19 million children between April and June 2024. The survey period had been extended in fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, children's vision continued to deteriorate. The proportion of children whose vision was less than 20/20 stood at 36.84% at elementary schools, 60.61% at junior high schools and 71.06% at high schools, all the highest on record except for fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2023, when the survey period was different.
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