Toothbrushing programmes

The BDA has backed new calls from NICE for oral health programmes in schools, calling on national government to support local authorities to turn the tide on an epidemic of tooth decay.

NICE has recommended councils provide toothbrushing schemes in schools and nurseries in areas where children have poor oral health. Similar schemes exist in both Wales and Scotland, where devolved governments have set out dedicated oral health strategies that include outreach to early years and primary schools, and which have contributed to record breaking falls in decay. Despite progress by many local authorities, there is no equivalent programme in England.

Health officials have claimed that devolution of powers to local authorities in England represents a barrier to rolling out a dedicated national programme.

Soft drink reformulation

The BDA has welcomed the findings of a study published in the Lancet Public Health which predicts that the impact of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks – due to come into force in 2018 – could reduce tooth decay by around 270,000 cases every year.1

This substantial reduction in dental disease would arise if the soft-drinks industry were simply to cut the amount of sugar they add to soft drinks.

It's unknown how the soft drinks industry will respond to the new government tax, but the authors of the Lancet study believe that the greatest health benefits would be achieved from reformulation.

Toothache pressurising A&E

The BDA has said dental patients seeking free care at A&E departments could be costing the NHS as much as £18 million, as new research shows the government is massively underestimating patient numbers.2

A study from Newcastle University reveals that patients attending A&E with dental problems are now approaching 1% (0.7%) of all attendances. This is ten times official government figures – with over half of the cases identified related to toothache.

Around 14,500 patients with dental problems attended England's A&Es according to official stats in 2014/15. The BDA has estimated that systematic under-reporting could conservatively place dental attendees at closer to 135,000 patients per year at an annual cost of nearly £18 million – with over 95,000 cases of toothache coming in at £12.5 million.

The BDA recently estimated that 600,000 patients a year are seeking treatment from GPs, who like A&E medics are not equipped to treat dental pain.

New figures revealed this January by the Local Government Association also show that 160 children and teenagers are undergoing tooth extractions under general anaesthesia in hospitals in England every day.

Dentists' leaders have called on Ministers to show leadership and provide a coherent strategy for oral health, and stop pushing patients away with inflation busting increases in NHS charges.