A Leicester dental practice has acknowledged poor availability of NHS dental healthcare for children by offering free check-ups to kids and those in need on weekends.
Saffron Lane Dental Practice has done so specifically with the aim of ensuring that more children have access to care that will pick up on any problems as early in life as possible, as well as promoting better dental self care.
Neel Somani, a dentist at the practice stated:
“We want to boost oral health in our community. It’s for anyone who needs to come, any child or adult. We don’t want them to lose out on any school time.
“Leicester and Nottingham have some of the poorest levels of dental health in the country for children. We see children as a highly vulnerable group as they can’t do anything for themselves. So, if we make it possible for parents to bring them in as easy as possible, it gives them a little more hope.”
The article also mentions the statistic of tooth decay being the top reason for hospital admission in children aged six to ten years old, with children in poorer areas being three and a half times more likely to have a tooth extracted than children in more affluent areas.
Karen Coates of the Oral Health Foundation said:
“The fact that there are such big differences in oral health is really worrying and not fair. This big difference shows how important it is that everyone can get to a dentist.
“The presence of oral health inequalities is deeply concerning and wholly unacceptable. This stark disparity underscores the urgent need for accessible dental care for these groups.
“We are deeply moved by Neel and his team’s compassionate endeavours to uplift their community, enhancing the oral well-being of children – a heartwarming testament of what it means to give back.
“If we don’t act early and take preventative measures, we are storing up problems for later life. The consequences are real and immediate – children suffer sleepless nights due to pain, miss school days, and parents’ work is disrupted. Immediate action is not just necessary, it’s imperative.”
My two penneth
This is a wonderful bit of news for a change! Though it is just a small action in the grand scheme of things, any additional help to get more children through the door and into proper dental healthcare is a very welcome outcome indeed.
I worry about the actual logistics of it though, as does this mean that the streets will be packed with anxious families hoping to make it in before closing time? Hopefully a little more information will come to light in future which shows us that they have made this work.
Regardless though, well done to the staff at Saffron Lane Dental Practice for providing this wonderful service for the community. We hope it benefits everyone.