Dental medicine and healthcare – human patient open mouth showing caries teeth decay Source: Supplied
THOUSANDS of children under four are being admitted to hospital each year to have rotten teeth removed, and in some cases, all their teeth are pulled.
In what the Australian Dental Association is calling a crisis, the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows 7791 preschoolers and 13,905 children aged five to nine were admitted to hospital in 2011-12 because of tooth decay.
And the decay rate is steadily increasing.
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“Tooth extraction is the No.1 reason for hospital admissions for kids in Australia, and there are cases of toddlers having all their teeth extracted due to the severity of decay,” the association’s oral health committee chairman Peter Alldritt said.
“Sadly, the problem is getting worse.”
The AIHW 2014 report confirmed that more than half of all six-year-olds had experienced decay in their baby teeth.
Michelle Pohlmann knows how important it is for her son Jack, 1, to brush his teeth. Pic: Luke Marsden
“The state of children’s teeth is a crisis” Dr Alldritt said.
“A recommendation was introduced several years ago on the advice of global paediatric dentists that children should see a dentist at 12 months or when their first tooth appears, but sadly, that information has not got through to parents, who are often in the dark about younger children’s teeth.
“It is not unusual to see a child who has reached four and never had their teeth brushed, as some parents have the idea that they are only milk teeth and will fall out. Kids have these teeth until they hit about 12.
“Many of these hospitalisations are avoidable. It’s not good for a child to have a series of anaesthetics in regular procedures.”
Sugary snacks and drinks, a lack of brushing, and no fluoride in the water in some areas all contributed to the problem.
A Queensland Health report showed tooth decay in children was significantly higher in the 20 council areas across the state without fluoride.
New figures released today by the Australian dental association reveal tooth decay is at epidemic proportions.
Originally published as How we’re failing our youngest