Thousands of families are potentially unable to access urgent dental services in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
And the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) is urging families to avoid risky play time that could lead to dental traumas.
With all routine dental care halted, the British Dental Association (BDA) says its members have been overwhelmed by requests for urgent treatment for people in pain – but with nowhere to send them.
NHS England is in the process of creating local Urgent Dental Care hubs (UDCs) across the country, but has come under fire for taking too long.
Claire Stevens CBE, a consultant in paediatric dentistry and spokesperson for the BSPD is urging parents to make sure their young children do not take unnecessary risks.
She said: 'I would like to put in a plea to parents and carers to limit play which could potentially lead to a fall or a crash resulting in damage to teeth. We are still seeing cases of dental trauma which is worrying.'
Hospitals are now only providing emergency care and access to general anaesthetic is obviously limited as medical colleagues use life-saving equipment to care for COVID-19 patients.
She added: 'Getting fresh air and exercise is important but it’s also important to assess the potential risk of each activity. Many of the admissions we are seeing are for accidents that could have been prevented.
'When children are young and still not confident riding a bike or a scooter, a crash could easily damage a tooth. The roots of permanent teeth are not well established when they first come through and this would be considered an unfortunate accident at the best of times. Now, in the worst of times, even greater care should be taken to avoid unnecessary risks.'
'My advice is to never allow more than one child at a time on a trampoline – they can so easily crash into each other if they go on the trampoline at the same time.”