Bringing children to the dentist for their regular check-ups is absolutely crucial for their oral health, for the future of their teeth and to install good dental habits for later life.
We were really concerned to read that dental check-ups among young children fell by 50% in 2020 due to the pandemic. This could potentially lead to millions of children facing years of dental decay. To give you comparative figures, in 2019 1.2 million under 5s attended appointments compared to 2020 with only 470,000 appointments going ahead. With the number of appointments for under 15s halving also; only 3 in 10 children underwent dental check-ups.
The British Dental Association have warned it could take years to repair the damage Covid has caused to the dental health of young people across the UK. Eddie Crouch, chairman of the BDC said ‘the kids facing the biggest challenges will be from the most deprived communities, tooth decay was already the number 1 reason for child hospital admissions. Now access to services have halved and inequalities we’ve long grappled with look set to widen’. Additionally, around 45,000 children were hospitalised for tooth extractions in 2018/19.
Here at Kingswood Parks Clinics we are passionate about teaching children at a very early age how to look after their teeth, correct brushing techniques and the importance of regular check-ups to maintain the best oral health. Children’s dental health checks with us are £15 for age 3 to 12 year olds.
Routine Child’s Dental Health Check – Kingswood Parks Dental (kingswoodparksclinics.co.uk)
We also have child memberships plans perfect for spreading the cost and making sure all your child’s general health checks are covered for the year at just £7 a month. This plan gives your chid 2 dental health check-ups a year with a polish, 2 fluoride applications and 50% off fissure sealants.
Fissure sealants and fluoride briefly explained…
Fissure sealants are a special thin plastic coating applied to the back teeth to keep germs and food particles out of the grooves, protecting the teeth from decay. This can last 5 to 10 years. Fluoride can be applied to both baby and adult teeth to also prevent decay, some children may need this more often and this strengthens the tooth enamel, making it much more resistant. These can be done from the age of 3. We recommend children seeing a dentist as soon as their milk teeth first appear. Identifying any oral health problems at an early stage and advising children how to prevent decay is so important. Sometimes as children get older they may feel anxious about new environments and health settings, bringing young children into the surgery from the earliest age helps them become familiar with the environment and allows them to get to know the dental practitioner. Whilst we know as adults, dental visits aren’t always fun. We encourage parents to try and make visiting the dentist fun and be upbeat and positive. We love having children visit the clinic and they will always leave with a special sticker for being so brave! It’s worth the visit just for that!
We can also pop on your child’s favourite programme on Netflix for them as a welcome distraction if they are a little nervous.
To book your child’s dental health check-up you can visit the ‘BOOK AN APPOINTMENT’ section on the website or give us a call 01482 440084 and help your child develop healthy habits: