More than four-fifths of secondary school teachers have revealed their school has given students toothbrushes or toothpaste because they have not had access to dental products at home.
Hygiene poverty charity Beauty Banks, together with the British Dental Association (BDA), released a survey that revealed the scale of the problem of poor dental care among children and young people in the UK.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: “Our youngest patients face a perfect storm, with millions unable to access care, or even the basics to maintain good oral health.”
Half of teachers have seen children isolate themselves due to their poor oral hygiene, while one-third of teachers have witnessed bullying because of it. A quarter even claimed it has caused children to miss school.
Many kids feel the impact of not looking after teeth properly, with three-quarters of secondary teachers noticing youngsters without access to dental products have discoloured teeth, nearly a third can see teens suffering from dental pain, and as much as a half have seen visible tooth decay among students.
When asked why they thought dental care was declining in schools, 22 per cent of teachers said it was due to the cost-of-living crisis and parents finding it difficult to afford basis hygiene products.
However, almost half (45 per cent) said it was the result of local dentists not accepting new NHS patients.
The condition of children’s teeth seems to be deteriorating, according to government figures, with just under a quarter of five year olds suffering from tooth decay already.
If you need a new NHS dentist in Ashton-under-Lyne, call our office today to see if we have spaces for your children, so you can ensure their dental hygiene is taken care of.