Sunday, January 23, 2005

Dental Problems in Scotland



Rot sets in to our children's teeth

ALMOST half of all five-year-olds in Scotland need treatment for tooth decay, a shocking new report has suggested.

And as many as one in eight children in their first year of primary school are "in urgent need" of intervention by a dentist, the same research indicates.

The disturbing conclusions were reached by examining the teeth of all primary one pupils at the 177 infant schools in the Tayside Health Board area.

The findings, which are almost certain to be reflected across the nation, have led to warnings that even health-conscious parents should be aware of the dangers posed to teeth by ‘healthy’ - but sugar-laden - drinks such as fresh fruit juice.

The study, which was carried out by the health board, discovered 13% of P1 pupils needed urgent emergency treatment, while 47% needed to visit a dentist.

Tayside health chiefs admit they are struggling to find enough dentists to treat all the children who need care.

A leading dental health expert agreed that problems with dental decay were widespread in Scotland and that even parents who believed they were being careful about their children’s health risked damaging their children’s teeth by allowing them too many ‘healthy’ drinks, such as fruit juices.

This is an interesting article regarding the lack of family education of the tooth decay process (nutrition's role) and the shortage of dentists in Scotland.

Again, another socialized health provider system that has failed!


Read the rest here.

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