Grooves have been found on 130,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth that appear to indicate the use of toothpicks, and impacted or rotated teeth got extra attention. Research in the Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology by David Frayer and Davorka Radovcic of four Neanderthal teeth showed signs of grooves consistent with the use of toothpicks, along with occlusal wear.
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The BMA has said tougher action was needed on sweets and chocolate to scare children off sugar and help to fight tooth decay and obesity. The BMA also wants free toothbrushes for children under five, and for schools to teach children about brushing their teeth to help cut the “shocking” number who need surgery.
The new guidance looks at the scale of the problem, risk factors for tooth decay, how it can be prevented and effective interventions for improving children’s’ oral health. It also calls for action outlining how all partners across the health and care system can help prevent tooth decay in children under 5 as part of ensuring every child has the best start in life.
Read more: Public Health England publishes guidance on child oral health
Questions resumed in the new Parliament with Yorkshire MPs asking on progress of the new dental contract and access to NHS dentistry in their area. There was also a speech in the House of Lords from a former Dean of the Royal College of Surgeons expressing concern about the high consumption of sugar and its effect on childrens’ teeth.
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) is supporting a new standards document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on oral health promotion in care homes. The new quality standard recommends that residents have their oral health needs assessed on admission and recorded in their personal care plans, and are supported to clean their teeth twice a day and/or their dentures daily.
Read more: FGDP(UK) supports drive to improve oral health in care homes
NHS England will adopt a twin track approach to reduce the sales of sugar-sweetened beverages on NHS premises. The first track is to launch a voluntary sales reduction scheme, with a target of a 10% reduction by March 2018. The second track is to take steps to implement a ban on sales of sugar-sweetened beverages from 1 July 2018.
Read more: NHS England acts on sugar based beverages on its premises