Dentists: School turns to charity to help children with toothaches

A trip to the dentist might not be high on the list of your favourite things to do, but there's no denying the important role they play when it comes to looking after our physical health.

However, it's been found that some children across the UK are struggling with issues like toothache, decay and cracked teeth, because they aren't able to visit an NHS dentist.

One school in West Yorkshire has had to rely on the help of a charity due to the dental problems some of its children were experiencing and the lack of dentists available to them.

The school reported that some children have been forced to take time off because of pain caused by their teeth.

'There was a constant pain'

Jenna experienced pain due to an abscess

Student Jenna, 13, struggled to stay awake in class as the pain in her mouth, which was later found to have been caused by an abscess, kept her up at night.

"It affected my learning because there was a constant pain and I couldn't concentrate on what the teacher was saying," she said.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Caine needed one of his teeth removed, but his parents struggled to find an NHS dentist who could see him.

"We went to one... and they said I needed an extraction or a cap in my tooth, but because it wasn't NHS I'd have to pay £50," he said.

"My mum and dad couldn't afford it, so I didn't get it done."

Shortage of NHS dentists

Headteacher of the school in West Yorkshire, Charlie Johnson, had to contact public health officials about what was happening with some of his students.

However, he was told there was a shortage of local NHS dentists taking on patients.

This is largely the result of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns which has led to a huge backlog of patients in need of dental care.

The school was put in touch with the charity Dentaid which typically provides dental treatments to people in the UK who are vulnerable like the homeless, and those in developing countries who would not normally be able to access it.

A mobile clinic was brought to the school and volunteer dentists found around one in 10 of its 900 pupils required treatment for various conditions.

"We've seen a lot of children with a lot of holes in their teeth and who needed teeth removed. Once we've stabilised that, it will be a question of keeping on top of it," said Dentaid practice manager Sarah Hutchins.

What are dentists saying?

Dentists have been struggling with the backlog of patients who need to be seen

The British Dental Association (BDA), which represents dentists and dental students in the UK, wants the government to "pick up the pace on the reform of NHS dentistry".

The Department for Health said an extra £50 million worth of funding had been given to NHS dental services for more appointments.

However, the BDA says dental services are still struggling to cope with the need.

Nearly 1000 dentists left the NHS in England last year, according the the BDA, and it expects the current situation to worsen if no action is taken.

"A wealthy 21st century nation shouldn't be relying on charities to provide basic healthcare to our children," said BDA chair Eddie Crouch.

"Schools can see how crucial access to dentistry is, with children struggling to eat, sleep and study. Ministers really need to learn lessons from these teachers about the importance of oral health."

What has the government said?

The government said it provided an extra £50 million to NHS dental services for more appointments

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the additional £50 million given to dental services would allow up to 350,000 extra dental appointments to be provided.

"That's on top of our unprecedented support for NHS dentists during the pandemic, including protecting the incomes of dental practices which couldn't deliver all their usual services and tackling the Covid backlog," the spokesperson added.

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