Eight in 10 children aged between one and two years did not visit an NHS dentists in 2016/17, according to new data from the Royal College of Surgeons Faculty of Dental Surgery, despite NHS dental care being free for under 18s.
The Faculty said that ‘widespread confusion’ among parents regarding oral healthcare for babies and toddlers, as well as a misunderstanding of NHS dental charges for children, was the reason behind the lack of dental visits for this demographic.
‘Widespread confusion’
‘In a nation which offers free dental care for under-18s, there should be no excuse for these statistics,’ commented Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the Faculty.
‘Yet we know from parents we speak to that there is widespread confusion, even in advice given to them by NHS staff, about when a child should first visit the dentist.’
Analysis by the Faculty identified that throughout 2016, only 19.1% of one- to two-year-olds visited the dentist, although that proportion rose to 20.2% in the 12 months to the end of March.
‘The earlier a child visits the dentist, the earlier any potential problems can be picked up, so it is easier to prevent children having to go through the trauma of having their teeth removed under a general anaesthetic,’ said Professor Hunt.