According to a study by QMUL, only 30% of children who visited a pharmacy for dental pain, actually saw a dentist first.

This number is alarming and a critical public health issues, especially as this number then rises out of hours. As the study highlights the children in pain visit a pharmacist, or other allied health professionals rather than a dentist, highlighting the patients actual desire to find management and solutions to their problems. The problem is patients often require dental advice from a dentist themselves, and incorrect management can result in worsening of the complaint.

There is some work to be done to educate and empower parents to help alleviate their children's dental issues, and digital health is an important tool in this cause.