Bex Cooper, Director, Sends in the Tooth Fairy to Preserve Children’s Smiles!

It’s not every day you have the chance to present to your local MP on a subject you’re passionate about, so I made doubly sure I had all my figures straight when I had the opportunity of a one-to-one meeting with Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.

Drastic decline in childhood dental care

And scary figures they are: rising every year, tooth decay and extractions are now the most common reasons for hospital admission in children. This is very concerning, but perhaps not surprising, when NHS statistics show children’s access to NHS dental care is just 50.4% nationally, and the dental workforce is predicted to shrink 35% by 2030. As a rural county, Cumbria’s challenges are even worse, with a 25% dentist vacancy rate, and children’s NHS dental access at just 45.8%.

Potential consequences of lack of childhood tooth care include lifelong health, social, and even economic implications. The mouth is the “gateway” to the body for health; lack of teeth to chew and digest food properly can create long-term health issues, from daily pain, to bacteria from the gums entering the bloodstream, leading to higher risk of cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and strokes. Developmental and social impacts include speech and confidence: withdrawal from socialising over food, or avoiding public speaking can lead to poor mental health and the loss of career opportunities.

Restorative and preventative dental care, at any age

Crossbank Dental Care has a whole team dedicated to restoring people’s teeth, smiles, and confidence, which is very rewarding- but how much better to prevent these issues, and save upcoming generations from debilitating decay, tooth loss, and disease in the first place? With local authority cuts contributing to a 22% decrease in community health education funding, we felt it was time for our team to use our experience and knowledge to help stop the rot.

Putting our money where our mouth is

So we have invested in specialised ‘Oral Health Educator Certification’ for our dental nurses, and initiated a far-reaching community outreach project. Our understanding, informative ‘Tooth Fairy’ will visit playgroups, nurseries, and primary schools to provide accessible education on early years’ oral health, preventative care, and early intervention. I also gained an audience with MP Tim Farron to discuss our findings, concerns, and what could be done.

Tim was shocked by the statistics, and clearly on board, praising our passion and swift action. It was a great meeting (at which I tried not to bombard him with too many figures or ideas in my enthusiasm!). He agreed that children's oral health is declining quickly, especially in deprived areas, and change is urgently needed. He confirmed that Government action is needed to address this issue at a national scale, and advised he would keep applying due pressure for action and investment.

Tim seizes the challenge

I am delighted to say that Tim has already been true to his word; confirming he has already written to the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to urge the distribution of oral health information to children and young parents, and will continue to send further updates.

Welcoming smiles

Parents, children, and adults living with the consequences of poor childhood dental care; this is too important an issue to be sidelined. Thanks to the Crossbank Dental Care Tooth Fairy, we are aiming to change this through empathetic, supportive dialogue, education, and support. If you want to talk to us about a visit from the Tooth Fairy, or any aspect of dental care, we would love to chat, just get in touch!

📞 01539 720820

📧 info@crossbankdental.com