One-in-nine parents say their children have missed school due to their teeth
At least one-in-nine children have missed school due to dental problems, with a total of more than 15 million school days missed in the past year, according to data from leading dental provider Denplan, part of Simplyhealth.
Over a quarter (27%) of parents whose child required emergency dental treatment say their child has missed a half day (3-4 hours) due to emergency dental treatment with one in 10 reporting full school days were missed due to this, finds Denplan’s Oral Healthcare Report. The data comes as children are reportedly missing more school than ever before.1
The research is from one of the most comprehensive surveys into habits and attitudes in UK dentistry surveying over 5,000 adults on their dental habits and those of their family.
Today, Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, announces a £100,000 donation to its charity partner Dentaid, which will expand its oral health education programme, BrightBites, to a minimum of 90,000 UK school-aged children.
Targeting schools, nurseries and clubs for low-income families, volunteers will deliver in-person sessions, with a range of resources including toothbrushing charts, stickers, recipes and healthy teeth leaflets, to educate and inform children about oral health.
The partnership will also provide teacher resources designed to work alongside the curriculum. And every child will also be provided with a toothbrush and toothpaste to continue their positive oral health journey.
The BrightBites programme is needed more than ever before. The new data finds a quarter (24%) of parents report their children had not seen a dentist in the past year, including one in 14 (7%) reporting their children had never seen a dentist or haven’t got a dentist. Dentists typically recommend children see a dental professional as soon as their teeth start to appear, so they can provide advice and assess how often they should be seen.
The repercussions of lack of care are apparent in reported dental health concerns – a sixth (16%) of parents say their children have had a tooth cavity and around one in 10 (9%) report more than one cavity. A cavity is where the tooth has decayed due to build-up of bacteria on the surface, causing damage to the tooth over time, if preventative measures are not taken.
One in 20 parents report their child has been hospitalised for tooth extraction, which is currently the number one reason for child hospital admissions in the UK. Rates of admission in the most deprived communities are almost 3.5 times that of those living in affluent ones.2
Catherine Rutland, dentist and Clinical Director at Denplan and Simplyhealth said: “This data is a sad reflection of the state of oral health for children across the country, and the damaging consequences a lack of preventative oral healthcare can have. The research must be viewed in the context of the cost of living and ongoing issues around access to NHS dentistry.