Many children in Plymouth suffer needlessly from the effects of early years tooth decay.
It affects the appearance of teeth and a child’s smile, leading to embarrassment and impacting their ability to play and socialise. This carries on into adulthood, often lowering the chances of getting jobs and promotions in later life.
Yet tooth decay is largely preventable and a number of schemes start early in the fight for better oral health and a better quality of life for our children.
According to figures from Public Health, extractions under general anaesthetic (GA) are all too common in Plymouth, and children living in more deprived areas of the city suffer much more from tooth decay, for complex reasons.
The figures for 2019/20 are stark:
620 children had tooth extractions under GA. Between them they had a total of 3,935 teeth removed. Children in deprived areas were three times more likely to be included in those figures.
The impact on school and work life is felt by the children and their families:
Time taken off school is usually at least two days (the average is five), with a knock on effect for parents and carers who need the same amount of time off work. On top of that, the cost for extraction under GA is £1,015 per procedure, so the annual cost to the NHS was £629,300.
In addition, the general crisis in the NHS that is worsened by the pandemic, with at least 3,000 children on NHS dentist waiting lists, contributes to a pretty bleak picture all round.
So what can be done to make things better? The good news is that tooth decay among children is almost entirely preventable, and parents, carers, dental practitioners and schools all play an important role in making sure our young people enjoy good oral health, leading to a better quality of life.
Targeted projects aimed at providing fluoride varnishing and supervised tooth brushing in primary schools are already underway, and programmes like First Dental Steps (providing dental checks by the age of one) and Open Wide and Step Inside (www.openwidestepinside.co.uk) are all giving practical help, support and education to encourage better oral health for our children. Over the coming months we’ll be featuring some of these in the Chronicle.
Some top tips for helping the children in your home:
- Get the right equipment – When choosing a toothbrush for your child, choose a small headed toothbrush with medium texture bristles, and use fluoride toothpaste for your child’s age.
- Start early – Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first baby tooth appears (usually at about 6 months of age) and brush all tooth surfaces and the gum line where plaque gathers.
- Show them how to do it – brush or help your child in brushing their teeth until they are at least seven years old.
- Brush at least twice a day for about two minutes – by doing this, plaque can be removed while it is still soft. However, once it hardens, it stays and causes problems until it is scraped away at your next dental cleaning.
- Make sugar swaps – cut down sweetened drinks and foods generally and completely avoid sugary foods and drinks just before bedtime.
- Visit the dentist twice a year – start when their first milk teeth appear, to help children get used to the environment, and then at least every six months.
For more info, go to www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services/specialist-dental or talk to your dentist.
