Stop the rot! Dentists back fresh calls to tackle sugar consumption in the wake of new decay figures
Dentists are backing fresh calls to try and reduce sugar consumption in the wake of the publication of alarming figures. New statistics show that twice as many children under 10 were treated in hospital for dental decay than a broken arm in 2016/2017.
Figures analysed by the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons revealed that more than 34,000 dental procedures were carried out in hospitals in England in the 12-month period leading up to March 2017. More than 90 percent of those cases could have been prevented with good oral hygiene, healthy eating habits and regular routine dental checks, according to the dean of the FDS, Prof Michael Escudier.
Chair of general dental practice at the British Dental Association, Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, described the statistics as “shocking” and accused governments of failing to “tackle a preventable disease.” The organisation is calling for the government to do more to educate parents and children, target manufacturers and advertising companies and promote the availability of free dental care children on the NHS. The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry has recently launched a campaign to encourage parents to take their children to the dentist by the time they reach their first birthday. The campaign has been backed by the Faculty of Dental Surgery.
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