TWENTY thousand people in County Durham and Darlington are being asked to help with an important survey by answering questions about their dental health and visits to the dentist.

County Durham and Darlington Health Authority is carrying out the survey into the dental health of adults between the ages of 25 and 64.

A questionnaire will be sent out this month asking people about how often they have had problems with their teeth, the frequency of visits to the dentist and their lifestyles.

Jacqueline Rubin, primary care dental adviser for the health authority, said: "In 1998, 55 per cent of adults in the UK were in need of some form of dental treatment and 13 per cent of adults had lost all their teeth.

"As the vast majority of dental disease is avoidable, we would like to find ways to improve the dental health of people in our area.

"The results of the survey are extremely important, as they will help us to understand the dental health needs of adults so that we have the information available to help us improve dental health services locally."

The survey results will be published in the new year.