Dreading the dentist and its impact on children's health

Oral health may seem like a small component of overall well-being, but the state of the mouth, teeth, and gums makes a noticeable difference in an individual’s health.

While some recognise that there are superficial benefits to maintaining a healthy smile, including fresh breath, pearly whites, and the absence of pain or discomfort, some parents in the UK are missing the bigger picture when it comes to their children’s dental health.

According to a recent study conducted by the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, 80% of one- to two-year-olds throughout England did not visit a dentist at a local NHS facility in the last year. There are lots of reasons for this - but one of the main reasons is that actually getting registered at an NHS dentists has become increasingly difficult and that is why private dentists are flourishing and parents are visiting sites like www.dentalbe.co.uk.

Similarly, more than 60% of children age one to four did not have a check-up with the dentist in the same time frame. Missing routine dental visits leads to a lifetime of oral issues, including gum disease, tooth decay that may require extraction, and persistent bad breath that can ultimately lead to reduced self-esteem.

The cost of dental care throughout the UK is a non-issue, given that children receive it by way of the NHS for no charge.

Yet, parents seem to be consistently falling short of getting their children to the dentist early on in life to help prevent these all too common issues.

Focusing on the Fear

Experiencing anxiety and worry before a dentist appointment is common among adults, according to a recent survey published by a medical negligence specialist team. Nearly 34% of adults responding to the survey have a present-day fear of visiting the dentist, with a bad childhood memory being the third most noted reason for that fear. It is not surprising that adults who have had a bad experience with the dentist, even decades ago, project that feeling of hesitation onto their children before a dental exam, or when considering making an appointment for a routine check-up for a child.

They do not want their child to have the same bad experience or be in pain after a dental appointment, so they avoid scheduling routine care altogether. While the correlation between adult fears of the dentist and low statistics for children visiting the dentist make sense, younger patients have the potential to suffer in both the immediate and long-term when proper oral health is not maintained. In addition to bad childhood memories that are then projected as fear onto children, some parents in the UK admit being confused about when dental care should begin for infants and toddlers.

Even some FDS medics share that they are unsure when the first dentist appointment should be made for young patients. It is becoming more common for parents to wait longer than a child’s first birthday to schedule their first visit to the dentist when in an ideal world, that appointment should be made as soon as the child’s teeth start showing. For most, this is around six months of age. Prolonging a first dental visit also increases the child’s probability of having a serious issue with the mouth of gums early on in life.

Moving Toward a Solution

The recent statistics from the FDS are alarming to medical professionals and patient advocates throughout the UK, given that the figures relating to tooth extractions are also up for the past 12 months. Among children age one through four, nearly 10,000 tooth extractions were performed in the NHS for 2015 and 2016 – a problem that is most commonly linked to tooth decay.

Dentists around the country are frustrated with these numbers because tooth decay in young children is preventable 90% of the time, so long as proper oral care is taught and followed. That includes regular visits to the dentist. Parents can do their children a favour by scheduling their first visit to the dentist’s office as soon as teeth start to show. Taking this critical step not only allows children to avoid serious oral health issues that could lead to invasive corrections like extractions in the future; early interaction with the dentist also paves the way for a positive experience from a young age.

Children do not have a negative outcome after a dental appointment when their parents are helping do everything they can to maintain good teeth and gum health. When that is the case, young patients are far more likely to continue seeking out routine dental care and check-ups well into adulthood, without the fear and anxiety common among adults today.