Leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has promised a rescue plan for NHS dentistry. Within this, Starmer has pledged to introduce supervised tooth brushing for young children in primary schools across England.
Rescuing NHS dentistry
Labour’s dentistry plan would introduce incentives to encourage recently qualified dentists to practise in areas with limited or no access to NHS dental services, thereby reducing the prevalence of “dental deserts.” The plan also involves reforming contracts to enable dentists to allocate more time to treating NHS patients. Starmer stated โPeople are finding it impossible to get an NHS dentist when they need one, with appalling consequences. Horror stories of DIY dentistry are too frequent. My Labour government will not stand for millions of people being denied basic healthcare.โ
Highlighting GP patient survey data that reveals widespread challenges in accessing NHS dental appointments, the Labour party said their plans will look at the emergence of DIY dentistry and the issue of children requiring operations to have rotting teeth removed. According to official government data, in the period 2021/22, there were a total of 42,180 reported cases of tooth extractions in NHS hospitals involving individuals under the age of 19. Among this group, 26,741 children were primarily diagnosed with tooth decay.
Supervised tooth brushing
Regarding supervised tooth brushing, the dental profession has advocated for this approach as a way to reduce tooth decay. Dr. Charlotte Eckhardt, the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: โWe strongly support supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries โ this is now urgent. We know that children in deprived areas are at greater risk of poor oral health. By establishing supervised toothbrushing in school settings, we can directly improve childrenโs oral health and influence their tooth brushing routine in the home.โ
The British Dental Association (BDA) expressed optimism about Labour’s proposal, considering the government’s lack of action in implementing a similar program โthe government has never taken forward pledges to consult on rollout of supervised brushing, despite its own modelling showing it could pay for itself, with ยฃ3.06 saved for every ยฃ1 spent in the medium term,โ the association said.
Additionally, the BDA advocated for the inclusion of fluoride in more public water supplies, arguing: โIf all five-year-olds in England drank fluoridated water we would see much less tooth decay โ 17% less in wealthy areas and 28% less in the most-deprived areas.โ
However, school administrators have criticised the Labour party for โwindow dressingโ and expressed their concerns, saying it is not appropriate for their staff to check whether students had brushed their teeth. Paul Whiteman, the General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, voiced concerns, stating, โThis week we have seen guidance on mobile phones from government and a new dentistry duty from the opposition. This is not the immediate response needed to solve the mounting crises in school. We need to see greater ambition in the short, medium and long term”.
โWe have serious reservations about how such a policy could even work. It is not the role of teachers to be making sure children brush their teeth each day. Schools already play a role in teaching children about the importance of looking after their teeth through the curriculum, but there has to be a limit in terms of what we can expect them to do. We should demand more than window dressing from all of our politiciansโ Whiteman continued.
Final thoughtย
It is clear that there is a pressing need to address oral health issues among children, especially in deprived areas where the risk of poor oral health is greater. The proposal to increase the number of dental appointments for urgent procedures and encourage dentists to work in underserved areas is a step in the right direction. However, it is essential to strike a balance between political promises and practical solutions to address the broader healthcare challenges facing the nation.
Ultimately, the dental crisis, as highlighted by alarming statistics on tooth extractions and tooth decay among children, demands a comprehensive and sustained approach that involves not just supervised toothbrushing in schools but also other measures like water fluoridation. It is crucial for all stakeholders, including political parties, dental professionals, educators, and policymakers, to work together to find effective and sustainable solutions to improve oral health.
Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission
Following the successful launch of the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commissionโs 2022 Report, the Commission will appraise the outlined recommendations in 2023. This will allow a measurement of success to be taken on each implementation and a review of new priorities for the NHS and life sciences industry. The Commission will continue to review case studies to highlight best practice for the 2022 recommendations. Through a series of sprints, the Commission will highlight real-world experiences in regions across the UK. Through targeted health data mapping, relevant areas of unmet need and health inequalities can be chosen. Each sprint may appraise one or multiple topic areas from the 2022 report.
The Commission will also hold dedicated inquiry sessions into specific system-level and therapeutic areas of focus. Using the same methodology, the inquiries will provide opportunities for the Commission to gain implementable solutions to these areas and develop similar policy recommendations and reports.
Upcoming events
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/690123476897?aff=oddtdtcreator
