PARENTS must shoulder some of the blame for children facing lengthy waiting times for dental treatment in Glasgow, according to frontline staff.

A Govanhill dentist warned last week that children as young as three enduring painful tooth decay were continuing to face delays for extractions - up to six months in some cases.

While NHSGGC said that currently no child was waiting more than 12 weeks for the procedure, David McColl, who is vice-chair of the British Dental Association in Scotland, said this was not his experience in the South Side are he practices.

He said historically children requiring a tooth extractions were, “seen the next day.”

However, Linda Millar, a Dental Health Support worker said in many cases delays were caused by parents missing appointments.

She said families in Glasgow were being offered a good service through Childsmile, the national dental programme for children, which offers procedures such as fissure sealant to reduce cavaties.

Her role includes attending ante-natal clinics to ensure newborns are registered with a dentist and going out to homes to offer advice to parents on dental health.

Responding to our story, she said: “Parents are re getting a great service from Childsmile. It is up to the parents to take on board the advice and the responsibility of looking after their child’s teeth.

“I think the main problem is that they do not take their children to the hospital and dental appointments which inevitably leads to further problems for the child thus leading to longer waiting times.”

Linda said children would avoid the “trauma” of extractions which involve a general anaesthetic, if parents followed basic dental hygiene.

The procedure can only be carried out in hospitals following the case of six-year-old Ryan Gallacher who was left severely brain damaged after he went into cardiac arrest while having nine teeth removed under general anaesthetic at Townhead Health Centre in Glasgow in 2002.

She said: “Parents need to take on board the responsibility for their children.

“By doing this there would be less dental extractions not to mention the trauma of their child having a general aesthetic when this can clearly be avoided by doing something as simple as brushing twice daily and attending six monthly appointments.”

Mr McColl, said he be would be raising the issue of dental treatment delays with Health Secretary Jeane Freeman next month.