Earlier this month, new statistics from the Faculty of Dental Surgery showed that tooth extractions in children aged four and under in the United Kingdom have increased by almost a quarter (24%) in the last decade alone. It’s an appalling situation and utterly heartbreaking, especially given that so many of these cases could have been completely avoided through correct oral hygiene routines and balanced daily nutrition.
At the Oral Health Foundation, we have been long-time campaigners for oral health, aiming to tackle the inequalities that exist within the current system. We also work tirelessly to address the fundamental principles around why millions continue to suffer from a poorer quality of life through dental disease. As a charity, we continue to face many challenges, not only in transforming attitudes and behaviour towards oral health and wellbeing, but also helping to drive policy that will truly make a positive difference.
In this edition of Word of Mouth, we focus on just that. We propose five policies that would transform the outlook of oral health for children across the UK, we discuss why is it that tooth decay still exists in 2017, while we also look at Scotland and how their Childsmile programme could be undermined by the sugar-filled desserts currently offered by schools.
We report on the spring budget and what it means for sugar and tobacco regulations, take an in depth look into junk food sponsorships in sport, and also talk about managing our oral health into adulthood.
