“There are people who no longer go to the dentist because they cannot afford it. They are not afraid of the dentist but of the dentist’s bill. Their children consequently do not go to the dentist either,” the minister told the newspaper.
According to Schouten, avoiding the dentist at a young age can have major consequences. For example, they run the risk of facing higher costs later in life. The minister says that poor dental health “can affect not only your health, but can also lead to less self-confidence or even shame.”
She points out that in the past her entire class was sent to the school dentist, so there was no risk of stigmatization. “So you can organize that on a much broader scale. After all, those children are insured. We can discuss how to arrange it, whether it should be done with a bus like that or whether the dentist should come to the school. But if that means children will no longer feel fear or shame about having poor teeth later in life, then it is worth it.”
History
The first school dentist visited a primary school in Zaandam in 1904. Later, the notorious school dentist’s bus became a familiar sight in many schoolyards twice a year. In small groups, the pupils were sent to the “mouth executioner.” The school dentist soon acquired this nickname because he often drilled cavities and extracted molars without anesthesia, frequently working roughly and heavy-handedly. Although that treatment did not create pleasant memories, the fear of cavities often did motivate children to brush their teeth better. Nowadays, the school dentist has largely disappeared. Expansions to the healthcare system have meant that children up to the age of 18 can visit the dentist free of charge for most treatments, so parents usually make the appointment themselves. In disadvantaged neighborhoods in major cities where this still does not happen, a school dentist still occasionally comes by to monitor the young children’s brushing habits. And fortunately for them, the modern school dentist does now carry anesthetics.