Children in care ‘do not attend dentist’

Children in care are twice as likely to have a tooth removed under general anaesthetic, a study has found. Youngsters in care – such as foster care or residential care – are also half as likely to attend dental services compared with the general child population, according Glasgow University experts.

The research compared data from 622,280 Scottish children and found 49 per cent of children in care do not attend the dentist regularly, against 38 per cent of the general child population.