…to see an additional 70,000 pre-school children as part of a drive to tackle tooth decay
Latest data shows that over 140 children per day in England (some just one year old), are having teeth removed because of dental decay. This problem is now being addressed with a newly launched programme Starting Well Core to help raise awareness among 24,000 dentists across England.
Good dental health habits can be formed by booking a baby’s first dental examination before their first birthday, helping to prevent tooth decay before it starts and eliminate the need for future treatment. Only 1 in 10 children under two years old have seen a dentist despite NHS dental treatment being free up to the age of 18 or 19 for those in full time education.
Increasing access for infants and young children is a real step forward in the battle against early childhood tooth decay. The NHS England campaign aims to reduce the large number of children going under general anaesthetic for emergency dental treatment and the removal of decayed teeth, which is currently posing a considerable cost to the NHS.
At St.James Dental we continue to offer free NHS dental treatment for children, and encourage all those with friends and family to contact us if you would like to register your child or book an overdue appointment. Please call us on 01452 727 665 or email [email protected]
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