East Renfrewshire dentists are committed to protecting children’s teeth

Together, Crookfur Dental Practice and Mearns Cross Dental Practice are part of Clyde Munro Dental Group’s goal of treating at least 1000 children with fluoride varnish (FV) application in dedicated out-of-hours clinics by the end of 2022.

Typically offered up to twice a year, the pandemic-induced backlog means it is currently not as readily available to families as part of NHS services.

The pledge comes after worrying statistics showed 850,000 fewer patients were seen in the past two years compared to 2017-2019. In children’s services, only 55% of children from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods have consulted a dentist.

The latest data shows that primary school children in the most deprived communities experience more than four times the level of tooth decay compared to children in the least deprived areas.

These glaring and persistent inequalities have been widened by the pandemic, with the collapse of access to routine services, the suspension of public health programs and the impact of high-sugar confinement regimes.

Tooth decay in children is a major health problem in the UK – and although entirely preventable, it is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in children.

Jacqui Frederick is Group Clinical Director at Clyde Munro and one of the group dentists to have helped over 100 young patients access VF treatment in 2021, since Clyde Munro opened the children’s clinics in the last quarter of the year. last year.

She said: “We are a primarily NHS-based group and we take our responsibility as Scotland’s largest dental group seriously.

“As you can imagine, our dentists are deeply concerned about the decline in the number of young patients accessing NHS dentistry services. The pandemic has set back the oral health of so many people and we want to be part of the response.

“We wish we didn’t have to volunteer outside office hours to achieve this – but in doing so we can reach out to those in need, any parent or guardian concerned can contact their Clyde Munro practice closest to find out about VF clinics. ”