BDA calls on Government to tackle child tooth decay
The BDA has called on the Government to tackle the child tooth decay crisis as new figures have revealed that in 2014–15 over 179,000 teeth were removed in children aged nine and under in dental practices across England.
The BDA has estimated that the cost to the NHS of removing these teeth is up to £14 million, and state that this money that would be better invested in a nationwide prevention scheme, such as Childsmile in Scotland or Designed to Smile in Wales. England lags behind other parts of the UK, as it does not have a national oral health programme to drive improvements in children’s dental health.
These initiatives work to raise parents’ awareness of the importance of tooth brushing and oral health in general, and have been shown to reduce the need for fillings and extractions for children’s teeth. Promoting good oral health in childhood helps to ensure that its benefits continue into adulthood, reducing the risk of decay in permanent teeth.
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, Chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said that “We already know that tooth decay is the number one reason why children are admitted to hospital, costing the NHS around £35 million a year.”
“However,” he continued “a less well known factor until the BDA’s disclosure today is that the vast majority of rotten teeth are removed in dental practices around the country.”
“Why are we carrying out extractions, when we should be saving pain and money by aiming to keep healthy teeth in healthy mouths?” Overgaard-Nielsen asked.
Although the Department of Health has recently announced details of 10 pilot preventive programmes in England, the BDA is concerned that there is no dedicated funding.
