Drop In Child GA Extractions Was ‘Inevitable’ Says BSPD
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- Published: Monday, 16 May 2022 09:10
- Written by Chris Tapper
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The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has highlighted the true reason for the drop in numbers of children receiving extractions under general anaesthesia.
Last week, the national press headlined and condemned the revelation that the number of tooth extractions for children in hospital in England had more than halved during the pandemic, following the release of data from Public Health England.
The British Dental Association also called for action on the BDA News website, demanding “Ministers must act on child tooth extractions backlog.”
But the BSPD has said “A reduction in the number of children undergoing dental treatment under general anaesthesia was inevitable given that specialist teams were redeployed, and theatre spaces repurposed to support the nation-wide Covid-response."
The majority of BSPD members includes dental consultants and specialists working in hospitals and community clinics.
A spokesperson for the BSPD said “Our members, many of whom were redeployed to support the Covid response, are working hard to recover children’s dental services equitably and fairly but this will take time.”
“In some regions teams are working at 180% of pre-Covid capacity as the profession strives to reduce the currently unacceptable waiting times for procedures under general anaesthesia.”
BDA News said that the released data showed “35,190 extractions were performed on decayed teeth in 2019/20 in children aged 0-19 in 2019/20, falling to 14,645 in 2020/21.”
The BDA said “Dentist leaders have stressed the collapse in procedures being carried out, will not be reflected in a change for demand.”
“Figures show the proportion of extractions due to decay is virtually unchanged from levels seen a decade ago.”
The BDA went on “Tooth extractions take place in hospitals under general anaesthetic and are the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children.”
“Full disclosure is required on waiting times for these procedures alongside a properly funded plan to address the backlog. Tens of thousands of children will be left in pain, facing difficulties learning, eating, and sleeping for over a year.”
But the BSPD said that paediatric dentists are following national guidelines issued in November 2020 which “Gives clear categorisation of urgent and less urgent oral health conditions to support paediatric dentists on how to assess and prioritise children and young people.”
Dr Charlotte Waite, Chair of the BDA’s England Community Dental Services Committee said on BDA News, "Tooth extractions among children have collapsed, but the level of demand hasn’t gone anywhere.”
“COVID has simply left tens of thousands in pain, potentially waiting years for treatment they desperately need.”
“Government has yet to offer real clarity on the scale of the backlog, or a credible plan to tackle it."
But BSPD spokesperson, Professor Claire Stevens said “Crucially the guidance supports the dental team to prioritise children and young people on the basis of clinical need, and not just waiting time.”
“This means that as capacity becomes available, we are treating those that need us most.”
“This aligns us with the process that our paediatric medical colleagues have been using for some time and now in paediatric dentistry we are describing our patients’ conditions and flagging their urgency in the same way.”
“We are confident that this approach will guide our profession to an equitable recovery, in line with other paediatric surgical services.”
BSPD President Professor Sondos Albadri added “Paediatric dentistry has been one of the hardest hit specialties and the slowest to recover.
Members are working hard, going above and beyond to prioritise the wellbeing of children. However, there is a clear shortage in the number of specialists and their distribution across the country - and the society continues to call for investment in training.”
“BSPD also supports water fluoridation, as a proven public health measure to address health inequalities. We recognise that this isn’t part of the immediate solution – but an additional long-term intervention that will help improve children and young people’s oral health.”
BSPD responds to reports of pandemic child tooth extractions data.
— BSPD (@bspduk) May 13, 2022
Professor Sondos Albadri, President, BSPD said: “Paediatric dentistry has been one of the hardest hit specialties and the slowest to recover....." Read the full statement here: https://t.co/L5ZDLJTNrI pic.twitter.com/infwVy7rAH
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