Down in the mouth: Doncaster's child tooth decay problem revealed

More than 800 Doncaster children with rotting teeth needed last-ditch hospital treatment to have their decaying gnashers removed inside a year.
Dr Rupert Suckling, Assistant Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council.Dr Rupert Suckling, Assistant Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council.
Dr Rupert Suckling, Assistant Director of Public Health at Doncaster Council.

The town has been highlighted as the second worst hot spot in the country for the number of children aged 10 and under who need acute treatment for advanced tooth decay.

Data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre revealed 833 boys and girls from the town were admitted to hospital for tooth extractions due to decay between April 2014 and March 2015.

Dentistry.Dentistry.
Dentistry.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Elsewhere in South Yorkshire, Sheffield tops the list with 1, 140 admissions and Rotherham is third with 798.

Health chiefs are now launching a public survey around tooth decay in children in a bid to learn more about how they can tackle the issue and also lessen the burden on hospital services.

Dr Rupert Suckling, director of Doncaster Public Health, said: “We are disappointed to have one of the highest rates and are working hard with our local partners to understand the reasons for this and reverse this trend.

“These statistics are good evidence of why we should continue to prioritise prevention in order to reduce the number of cases that need referral to hospital.

Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP DRI MC 2Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP DRI MC 2
Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Picture: Marie Caley NDFP DRI MC 2
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Schools and parents are important stakeholders in improving oral health, but must be seen as part of a wider strategy which should be inclusive of multiple partners including early year providers, health care providers, local business, community and voluntary sectors. Supporting parents with good information as early as possible can help them make positive choices around how they feed their children and maintain their oral health.”

He added Doncaster Public Health is commissioning a dental health survey for five-year-olds in 2016/17 “which will give us an up to date picture of the scale of the problem in Doncaster and help us to better target services.”

Dr Suckling said Doncaster families who are seen by the health visiting team are given an oral health pack containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and a children’s book on attending the dentist. In addition, a pilot scheme has recently been launched for supervised brushing sessions in nurseries.

Across the region 6, 413 Yorkshire children were admitted to hospital with decay in 2014/15. The county was behind only London with 8,362 and the North West with 6,672 for the number of children needing hospital admission as an inpatient for tooth decay.

Dentistry.Dentistry.
Dentistry.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the faculty of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “The need for tooth extraction continues to be the number one reason why five to nine-year-old children are admitted to hospital.

“The problem is partly one of improving oral health education. The Government and dental professionals need to work together to raise awareness of the impact of sugar on tooth decay and improve children’s access to NHS dental services.”

Sara Hurley, chief dental officer at NHS England, said: “In England, children and young people drink more sugary soft drinks than anywhere else in Europe and we are also creating a legacy of obesity and significant health problems. If we are to get serious about tackling this then prevention is the key.”