DENTAL staff are treating children as young as six with mouths full of tooth decay amidst a national dental crisis.

Cianna-rai Littlefair-Parker, a Bournemouth-based dental hygienist and therapist, has worked in the industry for almost 10 years and said NHS dentistry is on the decline.

Working across multiple dentists in Bournemouth and Blandford, Cianna said practices are limited to how many patients they can treat under NHS contracts.

“NHS dentistry has been full over capacity for years, well before Covid,” said Cianna.

She added that dentists are opening their books to see more patients, however, people are now needing extensive treatment rather than simple procedures.

“It’s sad because tooth decay and cavities are 100% preventable.

“So, it’s getting the education out to people to prevent the need for treatment.”

The 31-year-old said that she is seeing children, who have only had their teeth for two years, with full mouth decay and needing numerous extractions.

“Why are six-year-olds coming in with a cavity in every single tooth with facial abscesses?

“I'm doing referrals to paediatric specialists to treat children under general anaesthetic, to remove a majority of their baby teeth and try and save, even remove some adult teeth.

“As dental professionals, we are saddened by this.”

Other stories:

BCP residents can sign up for NHS dentists - but they have to go to Southampton

Man in ‘unbearable’ pain removed six of his own teeth

Cianna believes the main problem is education and diet, with most children’s lifestyles proving detrimental to their oral health.

She said most children are brushing their own teeth before they have the manual dexterity to do so.

The NHS recommends that if a child cannot tie their own shoelaces or are not over seven years old, then an adult should be brushing their teeth.

Contrary to popular belief, Cianna said it is not the amount of sugar that children eat but the frequency of it that concerns dental professionals.

“Kids are no longer just drinking water, they are drinking squash, they're drinking fruit juices, they're drinking smoothies.”

Cianna said that newly announced NHS dentistry changes will take a long time to see the effects of and instead should be focusing on education.

Many dental staff offer to host oral health education for free in schools and run online platforms to share their knowledge, including Cianna’s Instagram ‘oralcarewithcianna’.

“It’s calling for people to reach out and look on your local dental pages.

“We’re out there, we’re not always seen but we’re trying.”

However, Cianna urges people in severe pain to call 111 and if they have any facial swelling then to go straight to A & E.

“If they're in pain, express it.

“The NHS don't know unless they're told.”

She added that dentists are trying their hardest to fight for patients, but they need other services to highlight the increase too.