New figures reveal 80% of under 2’s didn’t go to the dentist last year

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New figures have revealed that 80 percent of under 2’s didn’t go to the dentist last year, despite advice from dentists for parents to take children for regular check-ups from the age of 6-12 months.

Representatives from the Faculty of Dental Surgery have attributed to the alarming figures to a “widespread misunderstanding” among parents, which means that many don’t know when to start taking their child to the dentist. Dentists have issued a warning, advising parents that failing to take young children to the dentist could result in an increased risk of decay.

Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the faculty, said that there was “no excuse” for the figures in a country where NHS dental care is available free of charge for all under 18’s. Some parents may not be aware that they should be taking young children for regular checks and there seems to be confusion about when is the best time to introduce children to their dentist.

Prof Hunt stated that the earlier children get used to going to the dentist, the better and warned parents that toddlers are not immune to dental conditions. There has been a significant increase in the number of young children requiring dental treatment in hospital for extensive decay, and surgeons have operated on children as young as 2 years old.

In 2015/2016, there were more than 9,200 dental procedures carried out on children aged between 1 and 4 years old in hospitals in England alone.

Attendance rates were slightly better for 2-3 years olds; however, the report shows that 60 percent of children aged between 2 and 3 didn’t go to the dentist last year. The advice from dentists is to register your child as soon as they start to develop their milk teeth and to take them to the dentist every 6 months.

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