One in eight Bedford three-year-olds has rotten teeth Bedford News

One in eight three-year-olds in Bedford has rotten teeth, a survey finds.

The British Dental Association (BDA) says dental health inequalities across the country could ‘go from bad to worse’ after the coronavirus pandemic if the government does not support services that have been disrupted.

Data from Public Health England shows that 12.2% of children surveyed in Bedford in the past two school years had experienced some form of tooth decay.

Where decay has been reported, young people have an average of three rotten teeth.

The figures also show that the oral health of preschool children in Bedford has declined since the survey was first conducted by PES in 2013. In that year, 10.8% of children had cavities.

Those polled in 2019 and 2020 were among 3,500 three-year-olds to be examined in the East of England, where 6.7% of children on average had rotten teeth.

The authors of the report wrote: “Tooth decay is largely a preventable disease.

“Poor oral health impacts children and families, affecting children’s ability to eat, smile and socialize and cause pain and infection with missed days at nursery and for parents. who work, to go to the dentist and to the hospital to get teeth.

The British Dental Association says tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions nationwide.

Eddie Crouch, Chairman of the BDA, said: “In a wealthy 21st century nation, there is no reason why decadence and deprivation always go hand in hand.

“Sadly, millions of missed appointments, blocked diets and the suspension of public health programs mean things are going from bad to worse when it comes to health inequalities.

“It’s time for the government to really get involved if we are to avert an oral health crisis.”

Mr Crouch added that ministers must offer support to services “facing a deeply uncertain future” to avoid a deterioration in oral health.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs said: “The government is committed to taking effective measures to improve the oral health of children, which is why we will consult on brushing their teeth. supervised and eliminate barriers around water fluoridation.

“We have also taken significant steps to reduce the sugar content of foods and beverages by nearly 44% of the cut sugar in beverages through the tax on the soft drink industry.”

They added that a new NHS rule requiring dental practices to reach 60% of their pre-Covid activity until October “should improve access to vital dental services and to target groups with the highest needs.”