Dental neglect a cause for real concern, as over a third of Irish dentists see cases on a daily basis
Dental neglect is a cause for real concern in Ireland, it has been revealed. As more than a third of dentists employed by the Health Service Executive admit to seeing cases of child neglect on a daily basis, dental associations are keen for more to be done to tackle neglect and to banish preventable dental issues.
A survey, which was recently published in the Journal of the Irish Dental Association, recently revealed that 37 percent of dentists in Ireland see cases that indicate dental neglect on a daily basis. According to senior dental surgeon and co-author of the study, Dr Evelyn Crowley, it is incredibly common for dentists to see signs of neglect in children. This is defined as “children who presented late with a serious dental problem that any reasonable person would have recognised as needing professional dental attention earlier.”
A number of dentists who were surveyed as part of the study suggested that dental neglect wasn’t often seen as a sign of wider child neglect as a result of the low profile of dental health within society. Although dental health plays an important role in children’s health and development and general health in adults, many prioritise other aspects of health over the condition of the teeth and gums. One dentist claimed that a “neglected mouth arguably is the neglected child.” The respondent went on to point out that although there may be no obvious signs of neglect or abuse, ignoring basic dental health constituted a broader, and perhaps even more threatening, kind of neglect.
Join this Discussion