2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

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Lotsofsugarindrinks

VICNews

Melbournesurgeonsforced
toremoverottenteethfrom
childrenduetosugarydiets
GRANTMcARTHUR,HEALTHEDITOR,HeraldSun
25minutesago
Subscriberonly

MOREthan50Melbournechildrenunderfivehavehadatleasthalftheirteeth
removedthroughessentialsurgeryinjustoneyearduetosugarydiets.

Inthemostheartbreakingcasesthreechildrenunderfivehadtohaveall20oftheirteethtaken
out.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 1/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

Asurgeinchildrenwithmouthssorottedandneglectedtheyhavetobeplacedundergeneral
anaestheticformajoroperationshasseensurgeryratesforkidsunderfivejumpastaggering50
percentinjustthreeyearsattheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourne.

FiguresobtainedbytheHeraldSunreveal53childrenunderfivehad10ormoreteethremoved
lastfinancialyearbecausetheirmouthswereoverrunwithdecay.

Figuresreveal53childrenunderfivehad10ormoreteethremovedlastfinancialyearbecausetheir
mouthswereoverrunwithdecay.Genericpicture:iStock

Withthehospitalhavingtoopenitsoperatingtheatresforanextradayeachweektocombat
thesugarysurge,DentalHealthServicesVictoriachiefexecutiveofficerDrDeborahColesaid
interventionswereneeded.

Itisdepressing...anditisabsolutelypreventable,shesaid.

Alotofpeople,beforetheyhitschool,haveneverseenaclinicianandparentsdontrealise
theirkidshavebigblackholesintheirmouths.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 2/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

Itonlybecomesnoticeablewhentheyareinpainandcannotsleepbutnobodyhasbothered
tolookinthemouthtoknowwehaveaproblem.

Thenumberofchildrenunder14needingsurgeryformajordentalissuesjumpedbymorethan
athirdfrom1175in201213,to1571in201516.

Butitistheyoungerchildrenwhohavenotevengrownoutoftheirbabyteethwherethe
biggestissuesare.

During201516,816Melbournechildren
underfiveneededmajorsurgeryatthe
dentalhospitaltoremoveteethandrepair
theirrottedmouthsmorethan50per
centabovethosein201213.

ThroughprogramssuchasitsSmiles4
MilescampaignDHSVhastriedforthepast
threeyearstoconvincehealthpractitioners
andfamiliestoseekdentalhelpbefore
majorissuesarise,andDrColesaidthe
messagestoavoidsugarandhavebetter
dietsneededtoreachmoreyoungfamilies.

Therewereanumberofpeoplewhowere
notevencomingintoseeus,sowehave
beentryingtoraisetheprofilethrough
maternalchildhealthnurses,kindergartens
andchildcareareas,DrColesaid.

Weareraisingtheprofiletosaygoinand
haveacheckup,preferablybeforetheyhit
Therehasbeenasurgeinchildrenwithmouthsrotted
two,soatleastthenwecanaddressit.
andneglected.Genericpicture:Thinkstock

They(parentsofsurgerypatients)feel
reallyinadequate.Itischallengingtotheirparentingbecausetheythinktheyhavebeendoing
therightthingandsomejustdontrealise.

Therearemythsthatbabyteethdonotmatter,mythsaboutwhatisgoodfoodandwhatisbad
food,mythsaboutsoftdrinkandwhetherithassugarornot.Someofthisisjustaboutthe
generalknowledgeofhealthliteracy.

Ifyoustillhavelotsofdiseaseinyourmouthwhenyournewteethstartcomingthroughthen
youprobablyareonabitofadownwardspiralandpermanentteethdontgrowbackthatis

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 3/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

it,youonlygetonegoatit.

ADAYONTHEFRONTLINEOFVICTORIASSUGARCRISIS
JAYDENRyanandhisfamilyhavelearnedthepainfullessonthatfizzydrinksafewdaysa
weekandlolliescancauseverybigproblems.

AfterayearoftoothachesandsleeplessnightstheAltonaMeadowssevenyearoldhadto
endurealongtraumaticoperationtohaveeightrottedteethremoved,stainlesssteelcaps
implantedonthreeothersandfourfillingsplaced.

JaydenRyan,7,hasjustundergonesurgerytohaveteethremovedandrepairedaftersufferingmassive
decay.Picture:JakeNowakowski

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 4/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

JaydenRyan,7,islookedafterbyhismotherKylieZahraandgrandmotherFawnaLennonpostop.
Picture:JakeNowakowski

ItisonlyduringawaitingroomconversationwithanurseleadinguptoJaydensanaesthetic
thattheconnectionbetweenhisCokedrinkingandthestateofhisteethisrealisedbyhis
family,whohadneverbeeninformedofthedangerposedbysoftdrinks.

Despitetheanguishherownfamilyisgoingthrough,JaydensmotherKylieZahrabravely
decidedtosharetheirstorysootherscanlearnfromitandnotendupinthesameplace.

Hehasbeenbrushinghisteeth,buthecouldcutdownonabitofsugar.Itismainlythefood
(thatistheproblem),MsZahrasaid.

Hedoesdrinksugarydrinks.OnFridaynightshedoesdrinkCokebecauseitistakeawayday.

SometimesIputwaterinit,thoughhedoesntknowit.

Ihavenoticedthatinthekidslunchboxes,notjusthisbutallthekids,theyhavechipsand
lollies.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 5/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

FawnaLennoncomfortshergrandsonJaydenRyan,7,asherecoversfromsurgerytohaveteethremoved.
Picture:JakeNowakowski

Withhergrandsonindistressonherknee,FawnaLennonisvowstomakeachange.

Iknewsugarydrinkwereaproblem,butheonlyhasitonceaweek,shesaid.

Wehavegottochangeourdiet.

Jaydens1.30pmsurgeryisonlyoneofeightmajorpaediatricdentalsurgeriestakingplaceon
thefourthflooroftheRoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourneonthedaytheHeraldSunvisits.

Itislikethis,orworse,fivedaysaweek.

ONEINSIXVICTORIANSDRINKWHEELBARROWOFSUGARAYEAR

LongbeforeJaydenwasanaesthetisedithadalreadybeenalongdayforactingheadofthe
paediatricsurgeryunitDrDebraElsby.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 6/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

DrElsbystartedthedayat7.30ambyhavingtoremovefiveteethfromafiveyearoldboy.He
isnowrecoveringextremelynoisilynearbyanditisovertohisparentsastheydesperatelytry
tocomforthim.

Inhernextcaseafouryearoldhadtohavesixteethextracted,stainlesssteelcapsplacedon
two,andaprotectivecoatingplacedonadultteethcomingthroughtotryandensuretheylast
longerthanherbabyteethhad.

Herthirdpatientofthemorning,anotherfiveyearold,isundergoingXraysinanother
operatingtheatrewhereDrElsbyhopesshewillonlyhavetoremovethreeteeththoughits
likelymoreextreme,yetstillloving,surgerymaybeneeded.

Definitelyallhisfrontteethhavedecay,anditislookinglikeatleastfourbackteethhave
decay...wetrytoholdontowhatwecan,shesaid.

RoyalDentalHospitalofMelbourneactingheadofthepaediatricsurgeryunitDrDebraElsbydraws
breathinbetweensurgerypatientsonatypicallybusyandsaddayofhelpingyoungpatients.Picture:
JakeNowakowski

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 7/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

Withateaminpaediatricoperatingtheatrenextdoorundertakingalmostidenticalcases,Dr
Elsbysaidhermorningsworkissadlytypical.

Itisreallyhard,reallyhard,becauseitisapreventabledisease,DrElsbysaid.

Theyarehavingageneralanaestheticforsomethingthatispreventable.

Quiteoftenwhenyouaredoingtheconsentatthestartoftheproceduretheparentwillsayit
isallright,myotherchildhashaditsoIknowwhatIamdoing.

Wedontwantitbearightofpassagethatyourchildrencomeinforageneralanaestheticfor
dentalproblems.

HavingworkedatthestatesdentalhospitalforsevenyearsDrElsbyisknowsthehuge
importanceofherwork,buthopesrenewedeffortstocatchwomenduringtheirpregnancyare
whiletheirolderchildrenarebeingtreatedtoavoidyoungersiblingshavingtoendupinher
theatre.

Wejusthavetohavetheassumptionthattheydonothavetheeducation,andwearehereto
educatedthem.Itsthesmallchangesthatcanmakeahugedifference,shesaid.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 8/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

JaydenRyan,7,withmotherKylieZahraandgrandmotherFawnaLennonpostop.Picture:Jake
Nowakowski

Thehospitalspaediatricwaitingroomisfilledwithposters,toysandotherthingstokeep
youngpatientsamusedwhiletheywaitforsurgeryincludinginhousesuperherovideosof
DefendersoftheToothfeaturingeducationalsuperheroesWaterboy,MunchGirlandBrush
Boy.

Butuptotwooutofthreechildrencominghereforsurgeryneverseethisroombecausethey
aresodistressedbytheirconditionorthethoughtoftheirimpendingoperationthatthey
requirepremeds,orsedation,tocalmthem.

Thoseneedingsedationaremovedtoahospitalbedwheretheywaitwithaparentandnurse
comfortingthem.

Williamisonesuchcasetoday,withhisautismaddingtotheanxiety.Thefouryearoldhas
hadhugeholesintwoteethforthepastyearwhichhismumWendyconcedeswerecausedby
sugarandhishabitforwantingabottle.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournesurgeonsforcedtoremoverottenteethfromchildrenduetosugarydiets/newsstory/cc9981e7259f6 9/10
2017623 Teethforchildren:Melbournesurgeonsrottenteethduetosugarydiets|HeraldSun

Ithinkthesugarinthemilkhascausedthedamage,Wendysaid.

IamnervousbecauseIhaveneverbeenherebeforeanditisthefirsttimeformetodealwith
this.

DespitesedationWilliamisfightingtheurgetosleep,whichismadevirtuallyimpossiblebythe
screamingofthefiveyearoldboyinanearbybedwhohasjustcomeoutofemergencysurgery
withDrElsby.

Ashewakesfromgeneralanaestheticheisnothappy.Butfarfrombeinginpain,theboys
mouthiscompletelynumbedbylocalanaestheticandhecannotfeelanythingforgood
reason.

Despitebeingonlyfive,theboysmouthwasfilledwithsomuchdecaythatfiveofhisteethhad
diedandformedabscesseswhichbegunswellinghismouth.

Thedeadteethwereremovedina30minuteoperation(theshortestsurgeryundertakentoday)
butitwilltakemuchlongerfortheboysparentstoconsolhim.

grant.mcarthur@news.com.au

Twitter:@mcarthurg

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