Dentists call for schools in Staffordshire and Cheshire to become sugar-free
New figures show 23,000 children had to go to the hospital to have bad teeth removed last year
There are urgent calls for schools across Staffordshire and Cheshire to take tooth decay seriously and expel fizzy drinks and sugary sweets from the canteens and classrooms.
A new study has found thousands of children across the UK were admitted to hospital for surgery last year to remove bad and decaying teeth.
The data from the FDS (Faculty of Dental Surgery) says decay was also the main reason for 5 to 9-year-olds to be admitted to hospital, and that in 2020, 70 percent of youngsters in the country didn't see an NHS dentist.
Meanwhile, a report from Public Health England published in March which details the oral health of five-year-olds in England in 2019, shows that almost a quarter (23.4%) showed signs of dental decay.
The risk is further heightened by the fact dentists were closed for a period of lockdown, meaning children were unable to have any routine or regular check-ups.
Dr Jatinder Ubhi is a dentist who works throughout the Midlands. He said:
“One of the biggest reasons for children being put to sleep under the age of 5 is for dental extractions and this is completely unacceptable because it can be avoided.”
“Children can have dental decay and bad breath which can affect their psychological development, cause pain and infection and can also affect their concentration at school.”
There are fears from dentists that not taking tooth decay seriously in schools and promoting a positive culture towards oral health could disrupt learning - short and long term.
Dr Ubhi added: “Sugar is one of the key causes of decay so if schools can incorporate important messages, then this would be a great start to help children with their oral health.”
Dr Ubhi is now working on a project to engage children deeper within oral health, mainly from a young age, and wants schools across our counties and beyond to get involved.
"“I am working on a project called The Toothey Family with the aim to make dental health be more fun to children - so it's something they can understand, enjoy and hopefully make a difference to their health."
Top 5 tips for looking after children's teeth
1. Use a good toothpaste
Use a fluoride-based toothpaste.
Fluoride is a chemical found in many toothpaste brands which gets right into the enamel of the teeth and helps to protect them from decay.
If purchasing a tube of toothpaste, on the back in very small writing, it will say how many parts per million fluoride is available in that toothpaste.
Ideally, fluorides 1350ppm to 1450ppm is the figure that experts recommend when looking for a good performing toothpaste.
Remember that fluoride should be kept out of the reach of children as well as it could be harmful if ingested in large amounts. Advice is for parents to put it on the toothbrush.
2. No drinks before bed
Can't go to sleep without that glass of juice on the side?
Advice is to brush twice a day, in the morning and in the evening before bed.
After that brushing, children should not be having anything to eat or drink.
If children really want a drink by the bedside, it is water only.
3. Try not to snack
Snacking can cause issues in all sorts of complicated ways...
When food is eaten, the acid in the mouth rises significantly, and then slowly reduces down over a period of about forty minutes.
Somebody who is snacking a lot is going to get consistent acid attacks and those acid attacks will then lead to decay because the acid is the thing that causes the problem with the teeth.
Whatever children have at mealtimes is probably is going to be fine and the odd glass of pop is not going to do much damage. But if you had something going on over a period of time, the same amount could cause multiple occurrences of damage.
For example, having a fizzy drink and sipping it over and over again for ages is the worst approach because there is a continual and repeated acid attack within the mouth.
4. Breastfeeding is best
This could be a tricky one but even off the bottle sooner rather than later is best.
Decay normally takes place in the back two teeth but on many occasions decay in the front teeth is because of bottles.
In an ideal world, dental experts would say that breastfeeding is best.
After that, moving on to a free-flow cup. What isn't recommended is children on bottles after 12 months but ideally after six months, instead, they should be drinking from a free-flow cup.
Also, in there, there should be water and milk. Juice should not be introduced at those ages.
5. Start from an early age
Nobody really likes going to the dentist and there is nothing nice about having teeth out if teeth have got to come out.
The problem is that many people only go to the dentist, or only bring their children to the dentist when there's a problem.
Dentists are keen to see children and check their oral hygiene right from as soon as they're born, because even though they may not have teeth in that first year, they like to see the parent and the child and just talk about that prevention.
In a sense, parents are the dentist, 365 days a year.
More information
If you want to do more research into how to make positive steps to improve your and your children's oral hygiene, take a look at the links below.
NHS - Take care of your teeth and gums
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