Only 3% of children go to the dentist before they turn one
Parents told to take their children to the dentist as soon as their first tooth appears as study reveals only 3% go before they turn one
- NHS advises parents to take children to the dentist when a milk tooth appears
- Data analysis shows the majority are failing to do so, with 12% going by aged two
- Researchers were surprised to find more attendance in areas of deprivation
Only three per cent of children visit the dentist before their first birthday, a study has revealed.
Parents have now been reminded of the importance of taking their youngsters to the dentist as soon as their first tooth appears.
Not doing so puts children risk of tooth decay, dental experts have warned.
The analysis of NHS Digital data for England also showed only 12 per cent of children had visited the dentist by their second birthday
Only three per cent of children visit the dentist before their first birthday, a study has revealed. In the worst offending local authorities, pictured, less than one per cent of children under one were taken to the dentist
The study was carried out by the University of Birmingham alongside the University of Edinburgh and Public Health England.
The team of academics sifted through the 2016/17 NHS Dental Statistics for England Annual Report.
The researchers were surprised to find that children from deprived backgrounds were more likely to attend check-ups than their wealthier counterparts.
One of the lowest rates of dental attendance was in West Berkshire, where under one per cent of children aged one had seen the dentist.
But deprivation in the area is ranked low, compared to South Tyneside, one of the most deprived local authorities in England.
The authority recorded the highest rate of attendance in children aged under one – 12.3 per cent.
The authority with the lowest attendance was the City of London, with just 0 per cent. However, only 8,000 people are thought to live there.
The research was published in the journal Community Dental Health.
Lead author Candy Salomon-Ibarra, from the University of Birmingham, said: ‘Our findings were unexpected as we had anticipated seeing higher levels of attendance in more affluent local authorities, but this was not the case.
‘We explored with private dentistry providers whether children were being seen privately instead, but this does not seem to be the explanation.
‘The fact that so few children nationally under the age of two attend the dentist, no matter where they live or their economic circumstances, shows that policymakers face enormous challenge attempting to improve this situation.’
10 AUTHORITIES WITH THE WORST ATTENDANCE TO THE DENTIST UNDER THE AGE OF ONE
City of London 0%
Isle of Wight 0.5%
Havering 0.6%
Waltham Forest 0.7%
Southampton 0.7%
West Berkshire 0.7%
Hackney 0.7%
Torbay 0.8%
Brighton and Hove 0.8%
North East Lincolnshire 0.9%
10 AUTHORITIES WITH THE BEST ATTENDANCE TO THE DENTIST UNDER THE AGE OF ONE
South Tyneside 12.3%
Tameside 10.6%
Oldam 9%
Stockport 8.3%
Rotherham 8%
Rochdale 8%
Bolton 7.4%
Cheshire West and Chester 7.2%
Bury 6.9%
Northumberland 6.8%
The NHS recommends parents take their children to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear.
RISING NUMBER OF BRITISH CHILDREN IN HOSPITAL WITH ROTTEN TEETH
Growing numbers of children with tooth decay are being admitted to hospital, damning figures show.
More than 26,000 children aged five to nine were taken to hospital in the past year because of rotten teeth, NHS figures in September revealed.
The number has risen for the second year in a row and is more than double the amount of children who needed treatment for tonsillitis.
Experts say the figures are ‘disgraceful’ and have blamed the UK’s sugar obsession for ruining children’s teeth as well as fuelling rising levels of childhood obesity.
There were a total of 26,111 hospital admissions for tooth decay among five to nine-year-olds in 2017/18, data shows, up from 25,923 in 2016/17 and 25,875 in 2015/16.
This compares to just 12,143 admissions for acute tonsillitis.
However, the number of admissions for tooth decay is still lower than 2014/15, when there were 26,708.
And the number of hospital admissions for tooth decay among babies to 19-year-olds has decreased overall from 45,224 to 44,047 in the same period.
The figures even included two children under the age of one.
Following that, health regulators say parents should schedule another check-up by the age of one, and then follow-ups at least every 12 months.
If not, the consequences could be long-term, as well as damaging their baby teeth.
Dr John Morris, senior lecturer in dental public health at the University of Birmingham, said: ‘Early dental visits not only provide parents with information they require to prevent early childhood oral health issues, but it is also believed that such dental visits familiarise children with the dental environment and reduce future dental anxiety.
‘Poor oral health can cause pain and infection, which can affect eating, sleeping, socialising and learning, yet worryingly our research suggests that there is a widespread lack of understanding of the importance of taking children to the dentist before their first birthday.’
The research found the NHS spends around £3.4billion per year on dental services.
In the two years to March 2016, tooth extraction was the main reason for hospital admission in five to nine-year-olds and the sixth most common procedure in those aged under five.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said successive governments have failed to offer a ‘joined-up’ approach to children’s dental health.
Chairman Mick Armstrong said: ‘Tooth decay is the number one reason young children will end up in hospital, and it won’t be solved with token efforts.’
In 2016/17, dentists removed rotting teeth in nearly 43,000 operations, the BDA said, but nearly all of these could have been avoided.
The researchers said more studies are needed to explore the reasons for such variations in rates of dental visits, such as a lack of local initiatives to encourage attendance or difficulties accessing NHS care.
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