NHS dentistry is in near terminal decline

HAVE you ever noticed, in black and white documentary films from both world wars, how young soldiers nearly all had terrible teeth? Indeed, due to a combination of diet, lack of dental hygiene and dental care, anyone over 30 with their own teeth was a rarity.

In 1948, when the Labour government created the NHS, dental treatment was included. Over the next decades under the NHS, dental health dramatically improved.

In 1948, the proportion of 12-yearolds with no significant dental decay was 19 percent, but by 2003 had risen to 62 percent. This remarkable improvement has gone into reverse, not least due to a catastrophic decline in the availability of NHS dentistry.

This results firstly from funding cuts, for example in real terms funding for NHS dentistry was £500 million lower in 2021 than 2014, and secondly from Government failure to agree a contract with dentists that makes it worth them taking on NHS patients.

In principle, dentistry is still free for under-18s. However, BBC research in 2022 showed, even for children, only one in five NHS practices were accepting new patients.

This is having a shocking impact on our children’s teeth. Research by the Nuffield Trust has shown that tooth decay is now the most common reason for a hospital admission for children aged six to 10 years.

Dental decay has health implications beyond the mouth, including an increased risk of heart and lung disease. Surely it’s the duty of the Government to ensure that all children can have access to dental care, not just those with affluent parents?

Terry Riordan Via email