‘The worst tooth rot in England’
‘The worst tooth rot in England’
by Huddersfield Daily Examiner
YOUNG children in parts of Kirklees suffer from the highest rate of tooth decay in England.
This is the grim finding of Kirklees Council’s Scrutiny Panel. It found that Kirklees five-year-olds had an average of 2.68 decayed, missing or filled teeth, the worst figure in West Yorkshire. The average across England is just 1.49. And in Batley the number rises to 4.03 – the worst in the country.
Scrutiny Committee member Clr Roger Roberts said: “Batley comes out as a real black spot, not just for dental care but also on other issues like infant mortality. Lots of money is being thrown at this problem but it’s getting worse, not better.” But Kirklees PCT spokeswoman Michelle Harvey said: “We are concentrating on preventing the problem in the first place through education programmes aimed at carers and distribution of packs of fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes to parents of young babies. “Prevention starts in the home by avoiding sugary food and drinks between meals, drinking plenty of water and brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste.”
The review of NHS dentistry concluded that Kirklees PCT operated a fair system and was working the new dental contract system better than others. Some 56% of people in Kirklees are registered with an NHS dentist, well above the England and Wales average of 48%. But the report also found problems. Mrs Harvey said: “The trust does not have information relating to patients attending private dental practices, as we deal with the provision of NHS care. Additionally, Kirklees residents may routinely visit dental practices outside the district and visa versa.”
The report also expressed concern that patients were struck off the register after missing two successive appointments. It recommended greater flexibility. Mrs Harvey said: “Discretion remains with the dental practice, as they clearly have the patient records. However the PCT will support practices who remove patients provided they can demonstrate the reason for their removal. “In one practice in Kirklees, 94 patients failed to attend appointments in a month, equating to one week of wasted surgery time.”
Councillors will debate the committee’s report next Wednesday.
by Huddersfield Daily Examiner
YOUNG children in parts of Kirklees suffer from the highest rate of tooth decay in England.
This is the grim finding of Kirklees Council’s Scrutiny Panel. It found that Kirklees five-year-olds had an average of 2.68 decayed, missing or filled teeth, the worst figure in West Yorkshire. The average across England is just 1.49. And in Batley the number rises to 4.03 – the worst in the country.
Scrutiny Committee member Clr Roger Roberts said: “Batley comes out as a real black spot, not just for dental care but also on other issues like infant mortality. Lots of money is being thrown at this problem but it’s getting worse, not better.” But Kirklees PCT spokeswoman Michelle Harvey said: “We are concentrating on preventing the problem in the first place through education programmes aimed at carers and distribution of packs of fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes to parents of young babies. “Prevention starts in the home by avoiding sugary food and drinks between meals, drinking plenty of water and brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste.”
The review of NHS dentistry concluded that Kirklees PCT operated a fair system and was working the new dental contract system better than others. Some 56% of people in Kirklees are registered with an NHS dentist, well above the England and Wales average of 48%. But the report also found problems. Mrs Harvey said: “The trust does not have information relating to patients attending private dental practices, as we deal with the provision of NHS care. Additionally, Kirklees residents may routinely visit dental practices outside the district and visa versa.”
The report also expressed concern that patients were struck off the register after missing two successive appointments. It recommended greater flexibility. Mrs Harvey said: “Discretion remains with the dental practice, as they clearly have the patient records. However the PCT will support practices who remove patients provided they can demonstrate the reason for their removal. “In one practice in Kirklees, 94 patients failed to attend appointments in a month, equating to one week of wasted surgery time.”
Councillors will debate the committee’s report next Wednesday.
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