A mounting crisis in NHS dental services has led to an alarming number of children facing severe oral health issues, resulting in the surgical extraction of all twenty baby teeth, as disclosed to LBC.
The ongoing dental service crisis, exacerbated by the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, has prompted experts to issue warnings about the dire consequences. With approximately a year’s worth of dentistry appointments lost due to the pandemic, the situation has escalated to the point where children are undergoing extensive dental procedures, forcing them to overhaul their diets by transitioning from solid foods to liquids like soups and smoothies.
The Shadow Health Secretary expressed deep concern, highlighting the “shocking state” of NHS dentistry. In an interview with LBC, Dr. Eddie Crouch, Chairman of the British Dental Association (BDA), detailed the distressing challenges faced when treating children with severe cases of tooth decay. Tooth decay has now become the leading cause of hospitalization for six-to-ten-year-olds.
Dr. Crouch emphasized the urgency of early dental intervention, stating, “The worst time to see a child is when they’re presenting to you in pain, having had many nights of lost sleep. They’re anxious, they’re frightened, they’re upset [and] they may have an infection in their mouth.”
Children unable to access early dental care may find themselves seeking treatment in other strained areas of the health service, leading to complex and dangerous procedures, including the use of general anesthesia, to remove all baby teeth.
The impact on children’s diets is significant, with Dr. Crouch noting that very small children may not tolerate dentures, thus affecting their ability to chew. This, in turn, may necessitate more severe orthodontic treatment due to crowding problems resulting from the absence of baby teeth.
Nationwide, dental services are grappling with substantial waiting lists, exemplified by Cornwall, where approximately 100,000 people await treatment. In Plymouth, data shared with LBC revealed that 600 children had a combined 4,000 teeth extracted, with parents facing fees of £125 for each tooth removal. Shockingly, 50% of pupils at one local primary school had never seen a dentist.
Responding to these findings, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting decried the state of NHS dentistry, highlighting instances of DIY dentistry among adults and the distressing reality of children having all their baby teeth removed.
Labor’s proposed solutions include providing an additional 700,000 dentistry appointments annually and implementing a school tooth-brushing program funded by abolishing the non-dom tax status.
In light of the Covid-19-induced backlog in dentistry appointments, the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the challenges and outlined ongoing efforts to improve NHS dental services. These measures include a 14% increase in the number of children seen by NHS dentists, an expansion of water fluoridation schemes, plans to increase dental training places, and a consultation to better utilize the skills of dental hygienists and therapists. Further details on measures to enhance access and increase the number of NHS dentists are expected to be announced soon.
