Yorkshire towns excluded from new youth initiative
The BDA (British Dental Association) has recently spoken out against Public Health England for excluding some of the worst towns for child tooth decay in Yorkshire from their new youth oral health movement. The scheme, which is designed to slash decay rates in the UK, has caused concern due to its lack of implementation in some of the county’s towns.
Some of the highest numbers of tooth decay have been found in Yorkshire according to recent figures, yet despite this, the only parts of the county included in the brand new Starting Well initiative are selected areas in Middlesbrough, Hull and Wakefield.
The county has seen decay rates soar in children, with nearly 7,700 of its children having to have their teeth removed in the past year alone. Research has proven that Yorkshire is sitting on the second highest rate of decay in the whole of England – and the highest number of surgeries performed on children for dental extractions.
The Starting Well initiative will no doubt benefit thousands of children all around the country, but according to the BDA, some of the most important targets are going to be left let down in the light of these statistics and hospital case records. The charity has spoken out in full support of the national programme, which aims to improve access to dental care, but chairman Mick Armstrong has now added that some of the most at-risk children in the country will now stand to gain nothing from it. In comparison to Scotland’s pre-existing national oral health scheme, which has had a huge and noticeable impact on oral health, the English equivalent does not target efficiently and widely and many will now miss out on its benefits.
