Alarming Increase In Number Of Dental Admission At Cumbrian Hospitals
There has been an alarming increase in the number of people in Cumbria being admitted to hospital as a result of dental issues.
Figures from the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre show that there were 764 dental admissions to hospital between December 2010 and November 2011, compared to 940 for the same period of time 12 months later; this represents a 23 per cent increase in admissions.
The figures for Cumbria are not consistent with national trends. National figures show a decrease of 1.1 per cent in hospital dental admissions, which makes the Cumbrian statistics even more worrying.
The dental health consultant Mr. Eric Rooney, said that the rise may be due to a drive in the county to improve access to NHS dentists. there have been problems with access in the past and the trust has worked hard to enable more patients to see their dentists. More and more patients are visiting their dentist, but many already have problems with decay and this has pushed the number of dental admissions to hospital up.
Mr Rooney also added that it was difficult to comment on adult and child admissions as the figures are not broken down; however, there are a large number of children with very poor oral health and this is often connected with deprivation; it is more common for children to need dental treatment in hospital because they often need treatment under general anaesthetic.
Mr Rooney urged parents to keep an eye on their child’s oral health and to encourage them to brush their teeth twice a day and avoid snacking on sugary foods and drinking fizzy drinks.
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