Nearly 250 children a day having tooth out
‘No room for complacency’
ALMOST 250 children a day are having to have a tooth pulled out at the dentist in Scotland.
According to the latest statistics, nearly 90,000 visits to the dentist last year ended in a child having an extraction.
Fizzy drinks and sweets continue to be responsible for high levels of tooth decay, with nearly 300,000 fillings also carried out in 2018/19.
The figures show that oral health among schoolchildren is gradually improving, with a huge decline in the number of fillings and tooth extractions over the past two decades. However, dentists called on the Scottish Government to ‘retion double their efforts’ in providing equal care for those in poor and affluent areas.
The number of fillings has dropped 62 per cent since 2000/01, with a 35 per cent decrease in extractions over the same time period.
The annual dental statistics, published by Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland yesterday, were welcomed by Public Health Minister Joe Fitz Patrick.
In 2000/01, there were 775,000 fillings administered to under-18s in Scotland and more than 133,000 teeth extracted.
While the figures indicate that the health of children’s teeth has vastly improved over the past 20 years, the British Dental Association warned of huge variations, depending on deprivation.
A recent National Dental InspecProgramme Report for Scotland found 86 per cent of primary one pupils in the least deprived areas had no tooth decay, compared with only 56 per cent in the most deprived.
Mr Fitz Patrick said Scotland’s Childsmile Programme, which provides toothbrushing at nurseries and schools, had made an impact, along with fluoride varnishing.
He added: ‘Our Oral Health Improvement Plan, with its strong focus on prevention and reducing oral health inequalities, will help to ensure further reductions in the need for restorative treatment.’
David McColl, chairman of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice committee, said: ‘Scotland is making real progress in the fight against tooth decay, but there is absolutely no room for complacency.
‘A preventable disease remains the number one reason for child hospital admissions, with young patients waiting up to six months for treatment.
‘The oral health gap between rich and poor is not inevitable. Ministers need to redouble their efforts to tackle these deep and persistent health inequalities.’
The ISD Scotland figures reveal the cost of dental treatment for children was £77 per head in 2018/19, with total fees for both adults and children costing the Scottish Government £303million – a 3.5 per cent increase on 2017/18.
There were 4.3million courses of dental treatment for adults in Scotland – the majority of them routine check-ups and basic treatments such as a scale and polish.