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While arm fractures are one of the more common ailments for youngsters, hospital medics are treating twice as many children with rotten teeth, the data revealed. Between April 2016 and March
2017, there were 34,205 cases of children under the age of 10 needing treatment in hospital in England as a result of tooth decay, the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at The Royal College
of Surgeons found. This compares to 17,043 cases for arm fractures, according to the analysis of NHS Digital data. During this period, there were 19,584 cases of children under 10 needing
hospital treatment for asthma, there were 10,397 spell of hospital care for epilepsy, and 3,805 for appendicitis. Overall, there were 45,224 cases of children and teenagers aged from infancy
up to 19 who needed hospital treatment because of tooth decay in 2016/17. The youngest patient was less than a year old, the FDS said. Despite the fact that tooth decay is preventable in
90% of cases, it is the most common reason that children aged between five and nine need treatment in hospital, the FDS added. In 2015/16, there were 25,875 cases of children in this age
group needing hospital care for tooth decay. This rose to 25,923 in 2016/17. Among 10-to-14-year-olds, admissions also rose from 7,249 to 7,303. SHOCKING MOMENT DENTIST FINDS MAGGOTS IN
PATIENT'S MOUTH But the FDS said the data showed some progress among children aged one to four, with the number of children needing hospital treatment for tooth decay among this age
group falling from 8,800 in 2015/16 to 8,281 in 2016/17. It has backed a campaign from the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, calling for all children to receive a dental check by the
age of one. Analysis by the Faculty earlier this year showed that nearly four in five children aged between one and two had not seen an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months. This is despite
the fact that NHS dental care for children is free. Parents are advised to take their children to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear. Professor Michael Escudier, dean of the
Faculty of Dental Surgery at The Royal College of Surgeons, said: “No-one wants to see their child in hospital. “Sometimes this can be unavoidable, but when it comes to admissions caused by
tooth decay, most cases are a result of simple preventative steps not being taken. “Tens of thousands of children every year are having to go through the distressing experience of having
teeth removed under general anaesthetic. Reducing sugar consumption, regularly brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste and routine dental visits will all help ensure this is avoided. “The
problem is compounded by the fact that many children are simply not going to the dentist, with parents often unaware that NHS dental treatment is free for all under-18s. EXPERT EXPLAINS
TEETH GRINDING SYNDROME BRUXISM “Dental visits in the first years of life enable children, as well as their parents and carers, to learn about good oral health practice. “These visits also
familiarise children with the dental environment, getting them comfortable in a dentist's chair. “This instils a first positive impression of dentistry, rather than a potentially scary
and unpleasant one if their first visit is because there is a problem or, even worse, if they need to have teeth removed under general anaesthetic. “It is encouraging that already there are
several initiatives to help improve child oral health. However, there is still much to be done, particularly to ensure that we do not leave certain groups of patients behind.“