Children are waiting for over a year with teeth pain figures reveal

Children are waiting more than year in pain to have teeth out amid crisis in NHS dentistry, shocking figures reveal

Children are waiting in agony for years to have teeth extracted amid a crisis in NHS dentistry, shocking figures reveal.

Health leaders and MPs warn the youngsters are struggling to access a dentist to resolve minor issues and then facing long waits for operations to fix problems that have spiralled out of control.

In some parts of England, they are waiting up to 18 months on average for dental procedures under general anaesthetic, data obtained under freedom of information laws show. But some have waited several years.

About 27,000 children were on waiting lists for specialist dental care, assessments or procedures in January, according to the figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

Children are waiting in agony for years to have teeth extracted amid a crisis in NHS dentistry, shocking figures reveal

The figures cover NHS community dental services, which are supposed to provide treatments to patients that require specialist dental care due to their specific needs.

These include children with special needs, children with physical or learning disabilities, children living in foster homes, children who are homeless and children who are on ‘at risk’ registers.

But the figures also includes children not in these categories whose untreated tooth decay has become so severe that they now require specific treatment for complex dental problems.

The figures, supplied to the BBC and Guardian by the Liberal Democrats, expose a stark postcode lottery, with children in some areas facing average waits of 18 months.

In many cases these waits are just to be assessed before undergoing a procedure.

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An NHSBSA survey shows community dental services are struggling due to staff shortages, patient demand and pressure on hospital capacity.

More than half of the providers responding to the survey said they were still operating below their pre-pandemic capacity.

Only five providers were seeing all patients within 18 weeks of a referral.

At some dental community service providers, fewer than 5 per cent of patients were seen within 18 weeks.

Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: ‘These figures show a stark postcode lottery, with families in some areas struggling to access the dental care they so desperately need.

‘It is heartbreaking to think that some children are being left waiting in pain for months or even years for the specialised dental care they need.

‘Every child deserves access to the dental care they need, regardless of where they live.

‘The Government must take urgent action to address this dental crisis, including tackling staff shortages and reforming the broken system that has driven dentists away from offering NHS appointments.’

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: ‘Children are waiting in agony thanks to the indifference successive governments have shown to dentistry.

‘Year-long backlogs pre-date Covid, because “prevention” has been little more than a buzzword.

‘It’s a perfect storm. Dentists are losing the battle to nip these problems in the bud, and struggle for theatre space when extractions are the only option.

NHS England has made additional funding available to tackle waiting lists, a spokesman added

‘Ministers have been offered a blueprint for reform. They have a moral responsibility to use it.’

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to improve access to NHS dental care.

‘We have increased the funding practices receive for urgent care, to encourage dentists to provide more NHS treatments and we’re also taking preventive measures to improve children’s oral health, such as expanding water fluoridation schemes – which can significantly reduce the number of children experiencing tooth decay,’ a spokesman said.

‘Further reforms are planned for this year.’ NHS England said the Covid-19 pandemic had ‘inevitably had a knock-on effect’, increasing waiting times for routine and complex treatments.

NHS England has made additional funding available to tackle waiting lists, a spokesman added.

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