As Children’s Access To NHS Dentistry Becomes Increasingly Difficult, BSPD Launches New Versions Of Its Practical Guide
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 14 September 2022 20:31
- Written by Chris Tapper
- Hits: 2018
Following the British Dental Association’s revelation that 79% of dental practices in England were unable to take on new child patients, the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry has announced the availability of nine multilingual versions of its guide to caring for children’s teeth.
The BSPD says that the launch of the translated versions of its Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth aims to support asylum seeking children and families to learn about how to maintain a good oral health routine.
The BSPD’s guide was translated into Ukrainian earlier this year, but the society has now added another seven versions of the guide, covering the languages most commonly spoken by asylum seeking children and their families.
The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth, has become a key resource for parents and carers and the society has now made it available for free on the BSPD website with the aim of reaching a wider audience.
The Guide is available in English, Ukrainian, Kurdish, Amharic, Persian, Arabic, Pashto, Dari and Tigrinya.
On Monday, GDPUK reported that an estimated 944,039 mums-to-be missed out on free NHS dental maternity appointments since the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020.
The British Dental Association’s Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Justin Durham said "Pregnant women and new mums are offered free dental care because the risks are plain and the benefits clear."
"Sadly, during the pandemic close to a million women have missed out on taking advantage of free dental care. This impacts on both the mother and child, and the most vulnerable in society are likely to lose the most.”
The BSPD says its guide “Covers all aspects of oral healthcare for children from birth to age 16. It also aims to bust some of the incorrect and sometimes damaging myths about teeth and oral care.”
The BSPD says its aim is to improve children’s oral health generally, but also with a diverse global community, focussing on those children who are most vulnerable and in need.
The BSPD says “The practical guide starts with advice on caring and cleaning your baby’s teeth, dummy usage, food and drink tips and also includes why fluoride is so vital. It then moves on to cover caring for children’s teeth from age 6-plus up to the emergence of all adult teeth and how a young person should be shown how to take on the responsibility of caring for their teeth for life.”
“This resource also gives the five golden tips on teeth brushing covering appropriate amounts of fluoride based on age and when and how to brush baby teeth.”
Professor Sondos Albadri, President of the BSPD said “Every child in the UK deserves good oral health and we know that our Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth is an invaluable tool for parents and carers allowing them to understand the essentials of dental care.”
“The response to the introduction of our Ukrainian translation showed us that there is a real need for us to make this resource available to help support the oral health of vulnerable children and young people who are particularly in need right now. BSPD is focusing on ensuring oral health guidance for infants and children is easily accessible and freely available – to everyone.”
Professor Claire Stevens CBE, the BSPD’s media spokesperson said “Dental caries is largely a preventable disease and our guide covers the oral care essentials with a focus on maintaining a good dental care regime.”
“Our aim is to make dental services fair and equitable to all – and we must target the most vulnerable in our communities to allow them to access the information they need to help themselves keep their families’ teeth healthy. This will benefit the individuals but also the dental health profession and the NHS - as we work our way back to being fighting fit.
“All children between the ages of 0 and 16 deserve access to a good oral health start in life.”
The BSPD has said the new translations of the guide are now available alongside the English version in the Patient resources area of the BSPD website - where they are available for consulting or downloading.
The guides can be accessed from the links below.
1. English version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
2. Ukrainian version BSPD Practical Guilde to Children’s Teeth
3. Kurdish version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
4. Amharic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
5. Persian version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
6. Arabic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
7. Pashto version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
8. Dari version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
9. Tigrinya version BSPD Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report