Bradford Dentist Laments ‘Tragic’ State Of Children’s Dental Health
A Bradford dentist has described the state of children’s oral health in the city as a “tragedy.”
Speaking at a council meeting to discuss dental services in the city, dentist Tony Kilcoyne, said that the alarmingly high rates of decay among children are incredibly sad, as tooth decay is almost always preventable. Mr Kilcoyne, who has a practice in Haworth, was speaking at a meeting of Bradford’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee.
More than £33 million is spent on oral health services in Bradford every year; however, rates of decay are very high and considerably higher than the national average. Speaking frankly, Mr Kilcoyne said that some of his colleagues have even suggested that parents are happy to let their children’s teeth decay and crumble, simply because they can’t be bothered to supervise them brushing and take them to a dentist.
In Bradford, the statistics are worrying and health officials are working to introduce measures to educate parents and encourage them to take good care of their children’s teeth and gums from an early age. Research shows that dental issues are the most common reason for hospital admissions among young people, with some children requiring extraction under general anaesthetic at the age of just 2 years old.
Mr Kilcoyne said that more needs to be done to prevent dental problems, as dentists are currently fighting a losing battle and trying to put out “bush fires” rather than being able to extinguish problems at a very early stage.
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