Cornwall Council Tender

Oral Health Is An Integral Part Of Overall Health. A Significant Proportion Of The Population In England Experience Very Good Levels Of Oral Health . Successive Oral Surveys Have Shown That Child And Adult Oral Health Has Been Improving Over The Past 30 Years. However, The Vulnerable, Disadvantaged And Socially Excluded Groups Are At Greater Risk Of Oral Diseases Affecting Their Teeth, Gums, Supporting Bone, And Soft Tissues Of Their Mouth, Tongue And Lips. Tooth Decay Is Largely Preventable, Yet It Remains A Serious Problem. The 2019 National Dental Epidemiology Survey Of 5-year Old2 Children Showed That 23.4% Of 5-year-olds Had Experienced Tooth Decay. Those Having Experienced Decay Had On Average 3.4 Teeth Affected. The Majority Of Tooth Decay Was Untreated. This Prevalence Varies Geographically; 17.6% Of Five-year Olds Had Tooth Decay In Southeast England Compared To 31.7% In The Northwest Of England, With Even Greater Inequalities Within Local Authority Areas.3 In The Southwest 20.4% Of Children Examined Had Tooth Decay. The Prevalence Of Experience Of Dental Decay Was Higher In Children From More Deprived Areas (34.3%) Than In Children From Less Deprived Areas (13.7%). There Was Variation In Prevalence Of Experience Of Dental Decay By Ethnic Group And This Was Significantly Higher In The ‘other Ethnic Groups’ (44.3%) And The Asian/asian British Ethnic Group (36.9%) Than Other Ethnic Groups. (please Note That There Is No Data Available For Cornwall). Oral Disease Impacts Not Just On The Individual Child’s Health But Also Their Wellbeing And That Of Their Family. Children Who Have Toothache Or Need Treatment May Have Pain, Infections And Difficulties With Eating, Sleeping And Socialising. Oral Health Is Therefore An Important Aspect Of A Child’s Overall Health Status And Their School Readiness. Extraction Of Teeth Because Of Tooth Decay Was The Most Common Reason For Hospital Admission In Children Aged 5 To 9 Years In 2015-163. Dental Pain And The Need To Access Treatment Results In School Absence By Children And Time Off Work For Their Parents Or Carers. Dental Treatments Under General Anaesthesia Are Expensive For The Nhs And Pose A Small Risk Of Life-threatening Complications For Children. For The Financial Year 2019 To 2020 The Estimated Costs Of Hospital Admissions In Children Aged 0 To 19 Years For All Tooth Extractions Was £54.6 Million And For Extractions Due To Tooth Decay Was £33.0 Million . Whilst More Adults Are Now Keeping Their Teeth For Life, Many Still Suffer From Periodontal Disease And Tooth Decay, With The Number Of Adults Aged 65 With No Teeth Being Higher Than Some Other Eu Countries . Although Oral Health In Adults Has Been Improving, The Incidence Of Oral Cancer Is Rising, Accounting For 3,034 Deaths In The England In 2021