Sheffield children get tens of thousands fewer dental treatments

The British Dental Association has warned it could take years to repair damage the Covid-19 crisis has caused to the dental health of young people across the country.

Patients aged under 18 in Sheffield were given just 45,435 courses of treatment in 2020, figures obtained from the NHS Business Services Authority through a freedom of information request show.

This was 64 p er cent fewer than the 125,781 recorded the previous year. The steepest decline was seen for the most routine treatments, which cover procedures including examinations and diagnosis.

Children were given 32,056 courses of this treatment type last year – a drop of 67 per cent from 2019. Urgent procedures also fell by 20 per cent to 4,000.

These can be carried out when a child has a swelling caused by an infection, severe toothache or facial pain that cannot be controlled by taking painkillers.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: “It may take years to undo the damage this pandemic has had on the oral health of our children.

“The kids facing the biggest challenges will be from our most deprived communities, and we now need all hands to the pumps to help them.

“Tooth decay was already the number one reason for child hospital admissions.

" Now access to services has halved, and inequalities we’ve long grappled with look set to widen.”

The BDA recently criticised moves to impose targets on dental practices, saying they risk “devastating NHS dental services”.

Under the plans, it says those falling below 45 per cent of their pre-pandemic activity between January 1 and the end of March could face “steep financial penalties” by having to hand back a proportion of their NHS funding.

Mr Crouch added: “Sadly, ministers have chosen to focus on volume over need.

" They need to find a way forward that delivers for the kids that need us most, with tangible support for services, wedded to real commitment to prevention.”

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