According to new figures released by the government, half of primary one children in some of the poorest areas of Scotland show obvious signs of tooth decay; a figure that differs dramatically from the one in five children in areas that are better off. Despite this seemingly gloomy outlook, this is a 1.5% improvement on the previous year’s figures when taking all areas into account.
Scotland’s public health minister, Michael Matheson, said that this improvement was due to investment in children’s dental care by the SNP government. However, there were some strong questions posed to the ministers about the difference between deprived areas and wealthier areas in Scotland and Tory MSP Alex Johnstone blamed the high percentage of tooth decay among poorer age groups on a lack of education on dental care. MSP Johnstone said that ‘It’s a failure on the education side and it is symptomatic of the way the SNP has tried to say it has put more resources into improving access to dentists, while at the same time neglecting other areas of public health.’ He also added that the SNP government has failed to provide enough resources to improve education and teach kids how to look after their teeth properly.
Scotland’s chief dental officer Margie Taylor said that it is important that parents take an active role in their children’s oral health, saying they should ‘remember their healthful habits and practices …to ensure their children enjoy a lifetime of beautiful smiles.’