Fillings can do more harm than good admit dentists who call for an urgent review of treatment
Dental experts have called for an urgent review after researchers claimed fillings can end up doing more harm than good.
- Having a filling may increase the chances of decay, according to a study
- Spokesman for the British Dental Association calls for an urgent review
- Study was carried out by Norway’s Nordic Institute of Dental Materials
A study carried out by experts in Oslo, Norway suggests that fillings may even increase the chances of decay.
Researchers reportedly found that six out of ten teeth alongside fillings suffered decay after five years – with nearly a third of those then needing a filling themselves.
Dental experts have called for an urgent review after researchers claimed fillings can end up doing ‘more harm than good’
They believe the trauma caused by having a filling may explain why teeth either side become susceptible to developing infections.
Experts at the British Dental Association say the findings warrant a review, the Sunday Express health editor Lucy Johnston reports.
The study, published by the Journal of Dentistry, was led by Simen Kopperud, of the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials in Oslo, Norway who said dentists needed to ‘be aware of the risks’.
The Express quotes him as saying: ‘The most important message is that if restoration takes place in one place the problem of decay is not solved. It is highly possible that the intervention by the dentist causes a problem in adjacent teeth.’
Professor Damien Walmsley, spokesman for the British Dental Association said of the findings: ‘This study highlights the fact that dental intervention can cause more harm than good.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (pictured) said that the ‘ball is firmly in the Government’s court’ after a Public Health England (PHE) report suggested a levy of up to 20% would cut sugar consumption.
‘More research is urgently needed to find out why dentists could be causing these problems.’
The dental expert added that fillings were currently still the best option available to dentists. And he described calls for a tax on sugary drinks last week as a ‘no-brainer’.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver said that the ‘ball is firmly in the Government’s court’ after a Public Health England (PHE) report suggested a levy of up to 20% would cut sugar consumption.
A spokesman for Mr Cameron said the Prime Minister had not read the report but was not in favour of a tax, believing there were other measures to drive down childhood obesity.
Oliver, a vocal campaigner for healthy eating, praised the study and urged ministers to tackle the obesity crisis ‘like parents not politicians’.
He said: ‘Doctors, dentists, scientists, a large and growing percentage of the British public and many in the media are calling for action. The ball is firmly in the Government’s court.’
