Figures have revealed that just over 15,000 eligible children in NHS Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley are still not registered with a free NHS dentist.
Although the number of registrations is increasing year on year, Liz Smith MSP, has called for a greater push to ensure more children receive regular dental care.
Establishing good oral health from an early age is increasingly important. Statistics released this week have shown the number of children requiring full or part dentures has increased in the past year in Mid-Scotland and Fife with 45 children fitted. Children in the area also had 16,705 teeth pulled out in 2015-16.
Commenting Liz Smith MSP said:
“There is no excuse for children not to have regular dental check-ups and more must be done to educate parents and children as to best practice when it comes to looking after your teeth.
“To have over 15,000 eligible children not signed up to a dentist is concerning and more must be done to ensure that parents are aware of free dental care and that children are able to take advantage of this.
“For there to have been nearly fifty children fitted with dentures in the past year is also concerning as this indicates a standard of oral health way below what should ordinarily be expected.
“The Scottish Government simply isn’t making enough real progress to help address poor dental health in our young children and stop them developing rotten teeth.
“They need to tackle this problem head on, by providing better education about the problems associated with poor oral health and by encouraging parents to register their new born children with a dentist as soon as possible.”