Third World dentistry crisis in England

More than 400 dentists write to the Telegraph arguing the NHS dentistry system is
unfit for purpose as 46,400 children are admitted to hospital for tooth decay

The rising number of young tooth decay patients has raised questions about whether dentists should carry
out more childhood fillings

By John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor-03 Jan 2016

By John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor-03 Jan 2016

Dental health standards are falling to Third World levels in parts of England because
of a crisis of access to NHS treatment, more than 400 dentists claim today.
In a letter to The Telegraph, a coalition of professionals from across the country
argues that the system is unfit for purpose with millions of people seemingly going for
long periods without even seeing a dentist, or ignorant of basic dental hygiene.
The signatories accuse successive governments of hiding the problem behind a veil of

spin and denial.

They point to official figures showing large numbers of primary school children
having to be admitted to hospital to be treated for serious tooth decay and other
dental problems, many of which, they say, could be easily prevented.

A third of children have not seen a dentist in two years Photo: Alamy
And they single out the launch of a new emergency treatment service for poor and
vulnerable people in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, by a charity specialising in dental aid
in developing countries.
The scheme, set up last month, is the first initiative ever in the UK by Dentaid, a
charity which works across parts of Africa, Asia and Central America.
The dentists argue that they are stretched increasingly thinly, struggling to meet
ambitious targets to increase the numbers of patients treated amid tight constraints on
budgets.
One in seven children have not seen a dentist by the age of eight
But NHS England denied that there is a crisis, pointing to a survey which found that

more than nine out of 10 people who wanted to see a dentist in the last two years got
to see one.
But separate NHS figures show thatalmost half
Far from improving, the
the adult population of England (48 per cent)
situation has worsened to such
and a third (31 per cent) of children have not
an extent that charity groups
seen a dentist within two years.
normally associated with

providing dental care in Third

World arenas now have to do
so in England."
Dentists' letter to The Telegraph

Crucially almost 62,500 people are admitted to

hospital in England per year because of tooth
decay three quarters of them, or 46,400,
children.

Within the biggest age-group those aged between five and nine years old the
numbers leapt by 14 per cent in three years to almost 26,000, estimates from the
Health and Social Care Information Centre show.
The NHS dental system in England is unfit for purpose, the dentists wrote.

Dentists say more education could reduce the need for treatment Photo: Alamy
Far from improving, the situation has worsened to such an extent that charity groups
normally associated with providing dental care in Third World arenas now have to do
so in England.

While we applaud groups such as Dentaid, which volunteer such services, their role
serves to demonstrate the lack of a proper national dental strategy and service.
When more than 90 per cent of all dental diseases can be prevented, it is also a
disgrace that children aged under 10 in England are still more likely to be treated in
hospital for rotten teeth than for any other medical reason.
Dr Tony Kilcoyne, a specialist in prosthodontics from Haworth, West Yorks, who coordinated the signatures, added: There is a massive problem here and signs of this
are that vulnerable children and vulnerable adults are falling through the gaps.
NHS dentistry is like a Cinderella within the NHS.
There is a massive dental

ignorance across the nation.

Dr Tony Kilcoyne

When so many problems are preventable you

cannot keep ignoring this.
It is like the can that keeps getting kicked down

the road.
Official figures show that almost 1.7 million more people in England have seen a
dentist within two years than were doing so a decade ago.
But, when population growth is taken into account, the overall increase amounts to
less than one per cent.
Notably, the proportion of children seeing a dentist within two years has edged lower
by almost one percentage point since 2006.

N
HS England said 93 per cent of people who wanted to see a dentist got to see one
Photo: ALAMY
A report published last year by the Royal College of Surgeons Faculty of Dental
Surgery described the situation as lamentable and suggested that simple
preventative steps, such as educating children about reducing their sugar intake and
the importance of brushing their teeth could be decreasing.
Dr Kilcoyne argued that the pressure will continue to increase unless dentists are
freed up to spend more time on prevention by educating the public about simple steps
which could reduce the risk of dental problems.
He cited the success of education and prevention initiatives by the fire service in
improving fire safety.
There is a massive dental ignorance across the nation, he said.
He added that some dentists are so pressed to meet volume targets that they often
have only a matter of seconds during appointments to get across a dental health
message which could itself reduce the need for dental care.
But a spokeswoman for NHS England insisted: These claims are wrong - more
patients are getting the dental care they need, and 93 per cent of people got an NHS
dental appointment when they wanted one in the last 24 months.

Posted by Thavam