Dentists: 'Some children in Norfolk have never seen a toothbrush'

A dentist who visits schools to check children's dental health has said some six-year-olds "have never seen a toothbrush".

Stuart McCance is part of a voluntary project working with more than 800 pupils in Norfolk and Waveney.

No dental practice in the area is registering children as new NHS patients.

NHS East of England said it was working hard with dental practices to improve access to services.

Mr McCance said he had growing concerns regarding children with cavities.

"In some instances, we're finding it's the first time kids have seen a dentist - and they're five or six years of age - when we should be seeing children from six months when their first tooth comes in," he said.

"Some, more worryingly, have never seen a toothbrush.

"I did a visit and some were seeing one for the first time at six years of age."

The voluntary scheme, called Happy Smiles Club, is free for schools and has been run by staff at John G Plummer dentists in Norwich since March last year.

It is currently working with five schools, and sees a dentist and dental nurses visit pupils to educate them on dental health, and also give check-ups if needed.

At one school, the team found 88 children needed urgent dental treatment, while 82 out of 169 children were not registered with any dentist.

Volunteer and dental nurse Chloe Blake said at the surgery where she worked, they were constantly being asked if they could accept new patients.

"We did go through a stage when we were taking on patients - just children - but we just got inundated."

Julia, who lives in Poringland, near Norwich, first heard her dental practice was closing in a news report.

She struggled to find another NHS dentist for her five-year-old children.

Her daughter Margo, who was 1.2kg (2lbs10oz) when she was born, needs fluoride treatment every three months due to weak tooth enamel which is more prone to decay.

After ringing dental practices in the area from a list of 50, Julia finally found one which would take her children as NHS patients, but said they still faced a year's wait for an appointment.

"The practice where they are going in November won't see me even privately, because they are full.

"Actually they are not taking children any more either as NHS, they've stopped doing it because they are full, totally full," she added.

"There's clearly a problem with the system and the provision."

The Association of Dental Groups has called Norfolk "a dental desert".

According to data from the Local Government Association for January to March this year, Norfolk and Waveney has one of the lowest numbers of dentists per 10,000 people in the country.

In November, a report by public health officials found 38% of children in Norfolk and Waveney had been seen by a dentist in the previous 12 months, compared to 46% in England.

It also said the gap between Norfolk and Waveney and England was larger in 2022 than it was in 2019.

Last August, a BBC investigation found eight in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK were not taking on children.

The Department for Health and Social Care is holding an inquiry into dentistry - in submitted written evidence Healthwatch England said it had heard of some children who had never seen a dentist "due to the poor access to NHS dentistry".

A survey conducted by patient group Healthwatch Norfolk found one relatively new practice had an NHS waiting list of more than 3,500 people.

It said half of all inquiries it received between January 2022 and January 2023 were about people's dentistry experiences.

The group is calling for a feasibility study into schemes like Happy Smiles Club to decide if school check-ups for children should be fully funded.

Deputy chief executive Judith Sharpe said: "While sorting out the current situation is not going to be quick or easy to deal with, ensuring Norfolk's younger residents know how to protect their oral health is absolutely vital so this current situation does not continue for future generations."

Alison Thomas, Conservative chair of the Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Norfolk County Council, said the situation was "dire".

"We have done everything to try and raise the issue within our own remit," she said.

"We are still awaiting a response to a letter we sent to the secretary of state earlier in the year - people of all ages are struggling to get NHS dentists.

"The dental contract is in a mess."

An NHS East of England spokesperson said: "We want children in Norfolk to be able to get high quality dental care and check-ups when they need them, and we are working hard with dental practices to improve access to services in the area, including inviting NHS contract holders to take on additional activity."

It said that if children could not register with a dental practice and needed urgent treatment, they should seek advice from NHS 111 online.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health and Social Care said last year saw 500 more dentists practising in the NHS.

"We are investing more than £3bn a year into dentistry and have already implemented additional measures to improve access.

"We recognise there is more to do and we will soon be announcing further measures to improve access to dentists, including in Norfolk."

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