A Birmingham-based dental expert has identified the 'real problem' behind the dental issues affecting children in the city. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association (BDA), has witnessed the significant impact of child poverty on children's oral health over his decades-long career. He shared his insights with BirminghamLive.
Diet is the Main Culprit
"It's definitely diet," Mr Crouch said. "Sadly, the cheapest way to feed your children is with stuff that is absolutely crammed with sugar." He explained that cheaper supermarket products often contain hidden sugars, posing a real problem for oral health. The dentist, who served south Birmingham for 36 years, highlighted that even baby pouches can be detrimental due to high sugar content. "Even on things like baby pouches, where most parents believe they're doing the right thing because of really aggressive advertising," he said. "They think they're providing their children with really healthy, five-a-day stuff out of baby pouches, [but] the sugar content of some of those is even more than a can of fizzy drink."
Deprivation Worsens the Issue
Mr Crouch noted that in areas of high deprivation, some children go without toothbrushes and toothpaste. "There's been quite a lot of research with the teaching profession to show that in areas of deprivation many of these don't even have their own toothbrushes and toothpaste," he said.
Government Scheme Faces Challenges
The BDA chair mentioned a government-funded supervised toothbrushing scheme launched last year, investing £11 million in local authorities across England. Birmingham was allocated about £500,000 due to its high deprivation levels. However, Mr Crouch believes it has been 'really difficult' to encourage schools to participate. "I think it's been really difficult for the public health people to encourage the schools to participate," he said. "That's a concern because we know projects like that actually try and improve the oral health of preschool children in early years children can have a massive effect on their general and oral health."
