How pandemic ruined Scottish children’s teeth

THE dental health of children in Scotland declined dramatically during the pandemic and will only get worse, an inquiry was told yesterday.

Some children have even suffered speech problems at a crucial stage of their development due to their poor oral health, the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry heard.

Tooth decay now affects one in five children in Scotland by the time they get to P7 with the pandemic exacerbating problems as dentists cut routine appointments and nonemergency procedures.

In a stark warning, Lord Brailsford’s inquiry in Edinburgh was told of fears growing numbers of children will need to be put under general aesthetic to have teeth surgically removed because of a looming dental crisis among youngsters. Health visitor Annette Holliday said that during the pandemic dentists were not seeing patients and there was also ‘a delay in dentists opening back up and accepting new NHS patients’ as Covid receded.

The nurse added: ‘We are going to see an increase in children with tooth decay. Baby teeth are important for alignment of adult teeth coming in, for your ability to make sounds and communicate effectively and for your confidence.

‘There are lots of reasons why that oral health is important.

‘But we’re going back to the days of “dental clearance lists” which is when children have to go to hospital theatre to have teeth removed.’

As well as worsening oral health, the inquiry was also told of a possible ‘developmental delay’ among children due to the pandemic.

Ms Holliday told inquiry junior counsel Graham Dunlop: ‘Because nurseries were not open during lockdown, children were missing out on learning how to be away from their parents. There is likely a developmental delay for a lot of children relating to the pandemic.’

The inquiry continues.