Hospitals treat more kids with bad teeth than broken arms!

YOU might think that when children end up in hospital it is most likely to be because of a bump or scrape suffered while playing.

But under tens are twice as likely to need hospital treatment for tooth decay as for a broken arm, research shows.

In 2016/17, there were 34,205 cases of under tens needing hospital treatment for tooth decay, according to figures compiled by the Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dentistry and the Press Association news agency.

In contrast, there were 17,043 cases of arm fracture, the NHS Digital data showed. Other common problems leading children to need hospital treatment included asthma (19,584 cases) and epilepsy (10,397 cases).

The problem is blamed on a lack of awareness by parents about how to care for children’s teeth and their failure to take up free NHS dental treatment for under 18s. Sugary drinks and food could also be to blame.

Children with tooth decay can require treatment in hospital if they need general anaesthetic to have teeth removed or if the decay has caused other dental problems that need surgery.