Compounded inequalities

Dentists’ leaders have said the paper, ‘Exploring the potential of using data on dental extractions under general anaesthesia to monitor the impact of dental decay in children – Southampton’s experience’,underlines the case for government action.

The research points out that school-age children from the poorest backgrounds are up to three times more likely than their better-off counterparts to be admitted to hospital for this operation, and indicates that greater school absences in this cohort may lead to lower achievement in Key Stage 2 examinations (aged 10-11 years).

The study authors highlight that severe tooth decay is the single biggest cause of hospital admission in England for the under-5s, where the deprivation gap widens, with the poorest being five times more likely to be admitted. They emphasise that dental disease is not confined to toothache, infection and tooth loss but can also affect children’s eating and speech development. 

They say that a GA for extraction of teeth causes distress to both youngsters and their parents, and has significant costs in terms of days off work and lost productivity as parents have to take time off to care for their children. Treating dental disease in England costs the NHS a staggering £3.4bn a year, and around £35m of that was spent last year for hospital-based tooth extractions for children aged 18 years and under.