On the back of Dental Health Week, we’re reminded that kid’s dental issues are mostly preventable.
Data from the ‘Children and Young People Oral Health Tracker‘ shows nearly 11 in every 1,000 children aged 5-9 are hospitalised for potentially preventable problems due to dental conditions.
Tim Curran from Port Lincoln’s Curran Dental says there’s support for local parents.
“Across Port Lincoln, the ADA have done some research and there’s over 2,000 children that are eligible for free dental care with the Medicare Child Benefit Scheme, but we only have 820 children that have actually presented for treatment and examination, Doctor Curran says.
“That covers services like check-ups, x-rays, even root canals and extractions.”
Doctor Curran also stressed the importance of making a child’s first visit to the dentist a positive one.
“We really want kids to have a positive first experience, and even if parents think there is no problem, there can be issues in between the teeth… if we pick those up early, it’s usually a much simpler fix than waiting for the child to present in pain because then that’s a much more traumatic experience.”
