Bradford dentist laments ‘unnecessary tragedy’ as figures show rise in extraction procedures

Sample News Big

Bradford dentist, Dr Tony Kilcoyne has described rising rates of childhood decay in the city as an “unnecessary tragedy” after figures revealed an increase in extraction procedures carried out in hospital on children aged 4 and under.

Statistics published on the Public Health England website showed that the number of procedures rose from 156 procedures in 2014/2015 to 168 in 2015/2016. Nationally, the figures were incredibly worrying, with the number of extractions conducted in hospital rising by 24 percent in just 10 years in this age group.

Dr Kilcoyne, who has a clinic in Haworth, said that it’s very worrying that so many young children are having teeth extracted under general anaesthetic in hospital, especially as most cases of decay are preventable and NHS dental care is available free of charge for children. Dr Kilcoyne suggested that there was a “general ignorance” related to oral health, and urged parents to try and make healthier choices. One of the main problems facing dentists is excessive sugar consumption, which seems to begin at an early age. Dentists are seeing children as young as 1 or 2 years old, and this is commonly due to diet.

The statistics are worrying now, but what is to come is even more alarming, warned Dr Kilcoyne. The knock-on effect of poor oral health during childhood is likely to be a generation of adults with dental problems, which will have an impact on health spending, as well as the economy as people will be taking time off work. The passionate dentist warned that “these children are the future diabetics who will be clogging up hospital beds, taking up NHS appointments” and said that urgent action is needed to support dentists, and to highlight the importance of preventative measures

Join this Discussion

Comments are closed.