BSPD responds to improved access to urgent dental care

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has welcomed news that there is improved access to urgent care for dental patients.

The UK’s leading organisation advocating for good oral health for children and young people also notes that within this urgent care access, there is a significant number of children being seen.

But the society points out that while this increase in access is positive, the sector must now move on to the next phase which means opening up dental care to children and young people for routine appointments and taking a determined prevention approach.

BSPD president, Dr Oosh Devalia issued her Charter recently in which the society outlined the nine priorities for children and young people to enjoy good oral health.

These guidelines for policymakers include the integration of oral health into other healthcare settings, with initiatives such as Mini Mouth Care Matters, the enabling of children and young people with special educational needs to be able to benefit from oral health initiatives; and every child having access to oral health information in a language and format they can understand.

It also called for a reduction in under 16s’ sugar consumption and aspires for every child to have a ‘dental home’, with access to a dental check by their first birthday.

Devalia said: “The BSPD welcomes the fact that more children and young people are now able to see a dentist when they have an urgent dental need. However, this is just the first step in rebuilding dental services.

“We must now expand routine access and double down on preventive efforts to reduce the number of children experiencing dental decay in the first place.

“We know that prevention is the most-effective way to tackle the unacceptable number of children needing their teeth extracted in the UK, but without routine access, dental teams are unable to spot problems early, before they require hospital admission.

“The rollout of the targeted supervised toothbrushing programmes and the expansion of community water fluoridation are all positive steps, but we need to push harder to ensure that every child has the oral healthcare they deserve.

“Across the UK, there is excellent work already taking place and Integrated Care Boards must be empowered to meet the needs of their local population, with the flexibility to tailor solutions to their communities.

“We must give ICBs this freedom to act.”