According to Public Health England, almost a third of 5-year-olds and 12 percent of 3-year-olds in England have experienced tooth decay.
Children with tooth decay have on average 3 teeth that were decayed, missing or filled, according to UK Government statistics.
Tooth decay can cause problems with eating, sleeping, communication and socialising, and results in at least 60,000 days being missed from school during the year for hospital extractions alone. The cost to the NHS of treating oral conditions is about £3.4 billion per year.
The number one cause of hospital admissions among children over 5 years is tooth decay.
The staggering numbers above may well be a result of the modern-day lifestyle, for example, high levels of sugar in our diets etc, however, we should be aware that it could also be an indication that a child is being mistreated or neglected in other ways.
Promoting Child Oral Health Within Your Dental Practice
Dental neglect is defined by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry as:
‘The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic oral health needs, likely to result in serious impairment of a child’s oral, or general health, or development’.
5 Tips to Promote Child Oral Health Within Your Dental Practice
- Child-Friendly Environment – Create a welcoming and fun environment, with games and toys to make children feel relaxed and comfortable.
- Regular Check-Ups – Encourage and advocate parents to bring their children for checkups from a very early age to get used to the dental environment and establish oral health habits.
- Nutrition Guidance – Provide advice on healthy eating and the importance of limiting sugary food & drinks.
- Free Kits & Rewards – Give out freebies! Toothbrushes, and toothpaste after each visit. Reward and Praise good oral health.
- Education – Provide videos and apps to engage children to learn about oral health at home.
Implementing these tips will help build a strong foundation for children’s oral health and a positive relationship with dental care from a very early age. Advocating and educating healthier eating and avoiding sugary foods and drinks can prevent tooth decay and the risk of type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
What is the Dental Responsibility of a Parent?
Children have a right to good oral health, as well as overall general health and wellbeing and are reliant on their parents and/or carers to meet these basic needs on their behalf.
At one end of the spectrum good dental hygiene should start in the early years of childhood (whether at home, nursery, or preschool), and, at the other end of the spectrum, dentist appointments can be built into child protection plans.
It is a part of parental responsibility for children to have regular dental check-ups (every six months) * so that any early signs of decay can be treated before developing into something more harmful.
Parents who do not present or encourage their children to attend regular dentist appointments will not enable them to access early treatment for minor problems but may find that their children develop more painful issues which require more invasive treatments, such as extractions.
Having teeth extracted can be a harrowing and distressing experience for a child, however, it is an experience that we should be able to protect them from, as under most circumstances, with regular check-ups, it is completely avoidable.
Serious dental neglect in children is a safeguarding issue, and for parents of children under 16 years of age, such significant harm could ultimately result in child protection enquiries or even criminal charges for persistent and wilful neglect.
What is the dental responsibility of a care worker or carer?
Serious dental neglect in an adult that lacks capacity could ultimately result in adult safeguarding enquiries or even criminal charges for wilful neglect of a person that lacks capacity
Effects
Having serious or untreated tooth decay or gaps from the removal of several decayed teeth can have both physical and emotional effects on children and adult patients. It can include:
- Severe or constant pain
- Low mood or esteem
- Behavioural issues
- Dependence on pain relief
- Impact on growth, nutrition and development
- Sleep disturbance
- Bullying by peers
What to include in an Oral Health Policy for care homes?
A Care home’s oral health policies should include plans and actions to promote and protect residents’ oral health. The policy should include:
- Dental Services and emergency out of hours dental treatment.
- Oral health promotion
- Assessment of residents’ oral health.
- Referral to dental practitioners
- Oral health plans for residents
- A plan of what happens if a resident refuses oral health care (in line with the Mental Capacity Act: making decisions)
- Daily mouth care, activities such as removing and cleaning, brushing, mouth wash and fluoride toothpaste.
Oral health for adults in care homes: This guidance has been published by Nice, Nations Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It gives recommendations for care home managers, regarding oral health, what to include in their policies, oral health assessments and mouth care plans. The term residents includes all adults aged 18 and older who live in care homes.
Resident’s mouth care plan and assessment.
As soon as a resident starts living in a care home, they will need an oral health assessment. You will need the residents’ permission to conduct the initial assessment, this is an opportunity for the carer to understand the residents’ usual oral hygiene routine.
What is the Dental Responsibility of The Professional?
It is the responsibility of a professional to advise, challenge and refer as and when there are early signs and concerns.
Child dental neglect could be a stand-alone issue or concern. It could arise from a parent and/or carers lack of knowledge about oral hygiene, difficulty in offering healthy diets due to income, or other family conditions. Or it could be part of a more serious set of circumstances of wilful or severe child neglect, where a parent and/or carer fails to respond to a known significant dental or oral hygiene problem. Whichever, it is crucial for childhood, and for long-term adulthood, that the child receives timely support and intervention, along with their family and/or carers.
It is therefore the responsibility of the professional to understand the various signs and symptoms that could point to wilful neglect and the correct procedure to follow should this be a concern. To do so, it is important to keep up to date with safeguarding training, to ensure you are aware of any changes to legislation and guidance and to guarantee that safeguarding is always at the forefront of your mind. It is also critical that your safeguarding policy and procedures (for both children and adults at risk) are reviewed yearly to reflect any such changes.
Regularly refreshing your Safeguarding Training is recommended to keep up to date on any changes in regulations and also advocates a safer culture.
If you are a professional concerned about a child with dental neglect, consider the following points:
- Examination – Identify signs of decay, gum disease and other dental issues. Look for broken teeth cavities or signs of infection during a check-up
• Predisposing factors – Identify factors that may contribute to neglect. - Individual susceptibility – Consider the child’s risk factors, such as genetic predisposition to dental problems or medical conditions affecting oral health.
• Previous dental history – Review the child’s dental records for missed follow-up appointments/treatment.
• Regional and social inequalities – Be aware if the child lives in a rural area with limited access to dental surgeries or social factors that could limit visits.
• Access to dental services and treatment – Investigate if the family has access to transportation or if there is an appointment timing issue.
• Impact on the individual- Consider the impact of dental neglect on the child’s overall wellbeing. Look for signs if the child is avoiding social activities due to the embarrassment of their teeth or if they struggle to concentrate at school due to dental pain.
• Consult other professionals – Collaborate with social workers and educators to gather an understanding of the child’s current situation and develop an intervention plan.
After consideration of all these factors then a safeguarding referral should be made if professionals believe that a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.
If you are a professional concerned about an adult with dental neglect, consider the following points:
- Signs of Neglect – Look for visible signs of missing or broken teeth, gum disease and severe tooth decay.
- Communicate sensitively – Discuss the issue with an empathetic and compassionate approach. Understand that dental neglect can lead to serious health problems.
- Provide information – Provide resources about the importance of oral healthcare and the health consequences of neglect.
- Referral – If necessary, refer the individual to a dental specialist or health professional who can provide support.
- Check-ups – Emphasise the importance of regular dental visits.
- Monitor – Keep track if their dental health improvements and adjust the support plan where needed.
The Future of Safeguarding
Despite the contribution dental paediatric practitioners make towards prevention and crisis intervention, the topic of neglect is often still not discussed. As dental care becomes more and more prominent within the safeguarding agenda, we must push to have difficult conversations and continue to include it in safeguarding basic awareness training. Going forward, there needs to be a much stronger focus on prevention and early intervention, as well as multi-agency working.
We need to raise awareness of safeguarding issues that sadly still get overlooked. A child’s smile, displaying healthy teeth and gums, can be just the start of a positive child development.
Achieving a safer workforce, keeping all who safeguard others confident and competent in best practice. Creating safer cultures in partnership with all those who have a duty to protect those in need of safeguarding.
Here at The Athena Programme, we are firm believers that training and education are imperative for dental teams to understand their responsibilities of a health practitioner and advocate the importance of oral health to parents and children to encourage healthier habits. Poor oral health is a sign of neglect, dental teams should have the knowledge and confidence to know how to respond to a concern when necessary.
Partnering with Agilio Software Dental
We are proud to partner with Agilio Software Dental offering our dental teams exclusive discounts and benefits on safeguarding training. Take advantage of these opportunities to ensure your team is equipped to handle their safeguarding responsibilities, with competence and confidence.
Exclusive Offer – Discount: To receive discounts on your safeguarding training contact Agilio Software Dental. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to strengthen your team’s skills and knowledge while benefiting from exclusive offers only for members of Agilio Software Dental.
Safeguarding training is an essential part of providing safe and effective dental care. By regularly updating their safeguarding knowledge and skills, dental teams can protect their patients, comply with legal standards and advocate safer cultures. Ensure your team is prepared and confident in handling safeguarding concerns by taking advantage of our partnership with Agilio
Protect your patients, strengthen your practice, and stay compliant—invest in safeguarding training today! Achieving a safer workforce, keeping all who safeguard others confident and competent in best practice. Creating safer cultures in partnership with all those who have a duty to protect those in need of safeguarding.
We are passionate about safeguarding and proud to be in partnership with Agilio Dental