New Figures Suggest More Than 3 Million Children Haven’t Seen a Dentist for Over 2 Years
New figures have revealed that more than 3.5 million children in the UK haven’t seen a dentist for more than two years.
Statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that 3,502,463 children failed to attend a routine dental check-up in the 24 month period leading up to March 2016. This equates to 30.4 percent of children aged 0-7.
The figures relate to NHS dental checks and therefore figures may be misleading in some areas, where children might attend private dental appointments.
According to the latest statistics, Hackney was the worst affected area, followed by Kensington and Chelsea. In Hackney, 57.2 percent of children didn’t attend a dental appointment. This is a stark contrast to the other end of the spectrum. In Hull, just 6.5 percent of children missed out on dental appointments.
Other areas that appeared in the top ten list for low attendance included Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Dudley, Barnet and Thurrock. The list for best attendance also featured Cheshire West and Chester, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, Reading, Bath and Somerset.
Figures also confirmed low uptake for adults across the UK. The proportion of adults who visited a dentist in the 24 month period was 44.3 percent.
The figures are worrying, especially as dentists recommend check-ups every 6-9 months. NHS dental care is provided free of charge for children in the UK.
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