Childhood decay costs £200,000 per year in Southampton alone, report confirms
Childhood decay is costing the NHS more than £200,000 per year in Southampton alone, a report has confirmed.
New research published in the British Dental Journal suggests that treating children in hospital is costing the local NHS in excess of £200,000. Young children with severe decay require treatment under general anaesthetic in hospital and the cost includes the procedure, as well as aftercare. Figures show that there has been a sharp increase in the number of children requiring hospital treatment over the course of the last five years.
The report estimates that around 1,510 school days were lost in Southampton in 2014/2015 as a result of dental issues that required hospital treatment. Children take an average of five days off school after undergoing extraction under general anaesthetic.
Researchers discovered that children from poorer backgrounds were more likely to require hospital treatment, with children from deprived areas losing 500 schooldays compared to 165 for kids from more affluent areas.
Chair of the British Dental Association, Mick Armstrong, said that the report is a stark reminder of both the personal cost of dental health issues, and the cost for the NHS, but it also underlines the difference between poorer and wealthier areas of the country. Mr Armstrong appealed for the government to act quickly to close the gap between those from deprived and more affluent areas and described the current situation as a “national scandal.” Tooth decay is the most common cause of hospital admissions in under 5’s in England.
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