This article has been circulating widely on social media: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33498324 - it addresses the current crisis of dental disease amongst children.

It’s shocking that the most common reason for children being admitted to hospital, is to have teeth taken out under general anaesthetic with over 90% of cases, this disease could have been prevented!

Prevention and public health messages being the cornerstones of the new contract, clearer labelling of sugar in foods has been called for to educate parents as well as more money to research why certain ethnic groups and areas of social deprivation are less likely to visit a dentist.

Between 2012 and 2014 there has been a rise in these admissions by 14% which could possibly mean either the public health message is not getting through, or people are finding accessing a dentist difficult. Or even perhaps dentists are becoming less confident with treating disease in children? Certainly relating to my own experience as an undergraduate, I barely treated any children with caries. Are more young dentists referring these patients directly to secondary care?

Furthermore, hospital waiting times are increasing and that means children can be waiting up to a year to been seen, and during this time the patient will be suffering in pain or taking multiple courses of antibiotics.

Changes in the dental contract stipulate remunerating dentists for maintaining patients’ oral health rather than just treating the problem when it arises – this is a welcome change which all of those who have graduated in recent years will be familiar with.

Should we be worried about this unexpected rise in admissions, or do you think the new contract will address some of these issues? I look forward to your comments.

See more issues concerning young dentists on my blog www.atoothgerm.blogspot.com