Paediatric Dentist Issues Decay Warning Prior to Airing of New Channel 4 Documentary
A leading paediatric dentist had issued a warning over children’s oral health prior to the airing of a new Channel 4 documentary, which follows families living in Leeds.
The two-part documentary, which was predominantly filmed in hospitals in Leeds, is called, ‘Junk Food Kids: Who’s To Blame?’ and features young children battling obesity and related health conditions, including severe tooth decay.
Ahead of the first episode, paediatric dentist, Stephen Fayle, from the Dental Institute at Leeds General Infirmary, has called for parents to do more to prevent tooth decay and to encourage their children to adopt good oral health habits at an early age.
Mr Fayle extracts between 7,000 and 10,000 teeth from children every year and claims that dental issues are the leading cause of hospitalisation for children aged between 5 and 9 years old. Mr Fayle believes that it is essential that parents understand the impact of diet, oral hygiene and simple habits, like giving children fruit-based drinks and juices when they go to bed. Often, making very simple changes to a child’s diet and their bedtime routine can have a very positive impact on their oral health.
Obesity, one of the main themes of the documentary, is well-documented and most people know that is a problem burdening the NHS. However, tooth decay receives less of the limelight and Mr Fayle is eager to underline the issue and inform people that this is a real problem. Each year, he sees children younger than 3 years old with all 20 teeth completely rotten and extracts teeth under general anaesthetic is children as young as 2 years old.
The documentary will air on Channel 4 on Wednesday 18th February at 10pm.
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