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Paediatric dentistry in crisis?

Children's oral health is everybody's business - we all have a part to play

British Dental Journal volume 236, pages 827–828 (2024)Cite this article

Key points

  • Make waiting list data ‘visible' so that we can begin to address the often unacceptably long, hidden waiting times for procedures.

  • In a dentistry crisis, children's oral health is now everyone's business. So, non-dental care professionals need to engage with children's oral health.

  • We need a government which truly commits to dental system reform - engaging with clinical leaders to ensure that policy not just looks good, but does good.

  • BSPD remains ready to advise and support evidence-based oral health policy. Our children's health depends on it.

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References

  1. NHS England. Core20PLUS5. Available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/national-healthcare-inequalities-improvement-programme/core20plus5/core20plus5-cyp/ (accessed May 2024).

  2. British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. Looked After Children Oral Health Toolkit. Available at https://www.bspd.co.uk/Portals/0/Looked%20After%20Chidren%20Oral%20Health%20Toolkit.pdf (accessed May 2024).

  3. NHS England. Eastman Dental Hospital Education Centre elearning series. Available at https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/eastman-dental-hospital-education-centre-edhec-elearning-series/ (accessed May 2024).

  4. Royal College of Surgeons of England. Surgical prioritisation for Children and Young People requiring Paediatric Dental treatment under General Anaesthetic. Available at https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/Files/RCS/FDS/Faculty/Guidance-for-paediatrics-in-dentistry/Surgical-prioritisation-for-Children-and-Young-People-requiring-Paediatric-Dental-treatment-under-Ge.pdf (accessed May 2024).

  5. NHS England/ Mini Mouth Care Matters. Available at https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/mini-mouth-care-matters/ (accessed May 2024).

  6. British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. BSPD's blueprint. 2024. Available at https://www.bspd.co.uk/Portals/0/BSPD%20Blueprint/BSPD%20Blueprint%20Feb%2024-1.pdf (accessed May 2024).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. President, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, UK

    Paula Waterhouse

Authors
  1. Paula Waterhouse
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Correspondence to Paula Waterhouse.

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Cite this article

Waterhouse, P. Children's oral health is everybody's business - we all have a part to play. Br Dent J 236, 827–828 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7448-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7448-y

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